BFA Part 1: Building From Ashes
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After his injury saving Rukia, Byakuya accepts an offer from his fukutaichou to come and care for him at Kuchiki Manor while he heals...Confusion leads to passion, and passion to danger.
1. Dreams of the Fallen

**Building from Ashes**

**Chapter 1: Dreams of the Fallen**

**(I originally posted this on Shadow-Eyes-01. Just moved it to consolidate my work. Thanks for reading!)**

Kuchiki Byakuya did not know what to make of the situation he found himself in. It was awkward enough to be forced to lie in bed day after day, healing from the wounds of battle, but to suffer that and the humiliation of having been so used, so twisted that he would break his promise to Hisana…that he would persecute and not protect his sister…He just couldn't stomach that.

Things that made sense before were making no sense now. And what he had judged to be right in his mind before Aizen Sosuke's betrayal rang with wrongness.

"I want to kill that bastard," he breathed, not wanting to open his eyes to the late afternoon shine coming in through the window, "If he wasn't in Hueco Mundo…"

"What was that, Taichou?" said a sleepy sounding voice from the chair near the doorway.

Abarai Renji…He'd forgotten his fukutaichou was in the room…again. Soon the red haired fukutaichou was going to think his taichou had lost his mind…if that wasn't the case already. Byakuya sighed.

"It was nothing, Abarai."

He felt the brown eyes watching him and kept his eyes closed. It was too soon after their battle with each other for him to decide what he felt about Abarai Renji. He wasn't ready to deal with that at all.

"Would you like some tea, Taichou?" Renji asked.

"Tea would be good, Abarai, arigato," he said, letting an eye open slightly and watching as Renji disappeared out of the doorway.

He dozed for a time, drifting on the edges of sleep, not wanting to drop off all of the way for fear of igniting the disturbing dreams he'd been having. But he had pushed himself too far avoiding sleep, and he sank into it despite himself.

"_Here's your tea, Taichou."_

_A warm tanned hand placed the cup into his. He reached up to accept the cup from Renji's hand, but as he took it, the warm hand did not pull away. It touched his gently, making him raise his eyes. The brown eyes were looking back at him in the most unusual way. Kuchiki Byakuya was mystified, both at the behavior of his fukutaichou and his own odd response. He didn't want to pull away. He didn't want the hand to leave his._

"Taichou?"

Renji's voice startled him and he jumped awake, nearly knocking the tea from his fukutaichou's hands.

"S-sorry Taichou," Renji said quickly, "I'll just clean that up."

Byakuya sipped at the tea silently as Renji knelt, cleaning tea from the floor. He studied the top of his fukutaichou's head and the black tattoos that disappeared into the top of his shihakushou and continued unseen down the length of his back to… Byakuya stopped himself, almost choking on the tea. He forced his eyes away, looking instead out the window. It was fall and the leaves were changing. He tried to distract himself in their colors, but kept coming back to the color red.

"Excuse me, Taichou," Renji said, brushing a towel lightly against his arm, "That should do it. How is the tea?"

"The tea is good, Abarai fukutaichou. It does not, however, feel good running down my arm."

"Sorry Taichou, I'll be more careful next time," Renji replied.

Byakuya blinked slowly.

"That would be good."

He turned his eyes to the window again as he sipped at the tea. He heard Renji return to the chair near the door.

"Abarai Fukutaichou, you needn't remain here all hours of the day," he said quietly, "I am certain there are much more important things you could be doing."

Renji did not look up at him.

"My first duty is to my taichou, sir. Besides, I enjoy taking care of you."

Byakuya didn't know what to make of that.

"I certainly don't need looking after, Abarai."

Now the brown eyes flicked up to meet his.

"Everyone needs looking after sometimes…Taichou," he said softly.

"I am not weak," Byakuya said sternly, "and there are more than enough healers in and out of this room at all hours to see to my needs."

Renji's lips turned upward into a warm smile.

"But can they make your favorite tea?" he asked matter-of-factly.

"Sadly, no," Byakuya admitted, "but don't burden yourself worrying about it. I'm only going to be here for one more night. After that…"

He stopped, giving it real thought. After that, what? It would be several days before he could return to work…and his own staff at home didn't make the tea as well as his fukutaichou. And he hated the thought of lying alone in his room with little to do but stare out into the garden and wish he could go out and walk in it.

"Do you need an extra hand once you're at home, Taichou?"

And there it was, just what he had been hoping against hope he might hear. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe his ears. It was presumptuous on Renji's part to think he wouldn't have enough people waiting on him at home. He should refuse. He opened his mouth to do just that. No one was more surprised than Kuchiki Byakuya at what came next.

"That would be appreciated, Abarai Fukutaichou. I will be released in the morning."

Renji nodded. There was a long silence.

"Will you be staying then?" Byakuya asked, looking down at the cup in his hand.

"If it's no bother, sir."

"No," said Byakuya, sipping his tea, "It is no bother."

When the cup was empty, he set it on the table next to the bed and slid down into the pillows. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as his bed at home, but there was something pleasant about the warmth of Renji's reiatsu nearby and the soft voices that sounded during the night. It was easy to fall asleep…too easy.

_He felt fingertips touch his cheek and turned his head toward them. They moved on to trace his lips and he brushed their ends with light kisses. He heard a contented sigh and felt the closeness of someone's face. Lips touched his tentatively, then pulled away. He longed to follow them. He wanted to feel that warmth again._

"_Renji," he whispered, "don't go."_

_"Shh, don't worry, Taichou. I'm not leaving."_

He opened his eyes and found himself looking into Renji's in the darkness. There was a moment of awkward silence.

"What are you doing, Renji?" Byakuya asked quietly.

"You said my name," Renji said in a voice barely above a whisper, "You asked me not to leave and I told you I would stay…that's all. I thought you were awake, but I guess you weren't after all."

"I see," Byakuya said, shifting to get more comfortable.

The motion sent a sharp twinge through his wounded chest and he winced.

"You okay, Taichou? You need a healer?" Renji asked quickly.

He shook his head.

"It was nothing. I'm fine. Arigato, Renji. Go back to sleep…although I don't know how you manage it sitting on that chair."

Renji chuckled softly.

"I can fall asleep anywhere."

_Would you sleep well wrapped in my arms?_

Byakuya blinked, forcing the rogue thought away. What was wrong with him? He tried to think back to when the strange thoughts had first come to him. It was after their battle. After that…all he had wanted to do was to go back and make sure Renji had survived. He had only been able to force himself to leave because he sensed Unohana Taichou's reiatsu approaching.

He had walked on in a daze after that, consoling himself by thinking that he had only done what was necessary…what the rules and laws required. But later…when he knew how the law had been manipulated, it rewrote their battle in his mind, and instead of being reminded of his superiority in the battle, of the fact that he had bested his fukutaichou, he had been assailed with remembrances of how hard Renji had fought to stand up for what he thought was right. And he had mercilessly taunted Renji for that at the time. Now it had a different feel to it. Renji had been right to stand up to him…to try to force his eyes open. And something had happened when Renji broke free of his restraints and surged toward him in that last moment. His eyes had looked directly into those deep brown orbs…and he had seen the resolve, the spirit in his fukutaichou that made him break free and launch that final, desperate assault.

It was after that that the dreams had started.

At first, he had brushed them off. He chalked it up to the stresses of injury, lack of sleep and a good measure of guilt. Renji had fought admirably, despite the difference in their abilities. It was natural that he should notice and think about that…but there was more to it. There was his fascination with how Renji had looked as he fought, brown eyes fiery with resolve, hands tightened on his zanpakuto, and the reiatsu flaring wildly around him. Renji had looked beautiful to him. There was no other way to describe it. So it was new respect, he supposed, some acknowledgment of Renji's steadily improving ability. But somehow, it seemed more than that.

But such a thing could not be. He was not attracted to men. He hadn't felt a strong attraction to anyone since Hisana. So why was he dreaming these things?

_Why?_

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji sat, half-sleeping in the uncomfortable chair, his eyes drifting back to his now sleeping taichou. He could barely see the rise and fall of Byakuya's chest and could barely register the sound of his steady breathing. He wondered for the millionth time if he should leave, but every time he prepared to get up and go, Kuchiki Taichou became restless and began talking in his sleep.

And his words were always the same…to the point where Renji wondered if, perhaps he might not be dreaming…if somehow the pleas for him to stay might be real.

But why would his stoic, distant taichou need him? He had been quick enough to brush Renji off during their battle. And even now, when he was awake, he seemed not to really even notice Renji. What use would a noble like Kuchiki Byakuya have for someone like him?

He had been ready to write it off as his imagination until tonight. This time, as before, Byakuya had asked him to stay, but something different had happened. Renji had gone to him and dared to touch him lightly on the face…and his taichou had kissed his fingertips. Then Renji had become very reckless and brushed his lips against Byakuya's. He had barely pulled away in time to avoid being caught. But before he had pulled away, he was sure he had felt those lips move. He was sure what he had felt was his kiss being returned.

But even if it was…Byakuya had done this in his sleep. Renji had been wide awake. And ever since, he couldn't sleep at all. He couldn't stop thinking about how good those lips had tasted…and how warm they were. He couldn't stop thinking about the light touch of those full lips on his fingers, and the unusual gentleness in the voice that pleaded with him not to leave.

And now, in spite of insisting that he did not need Renji's help, his taichou had accepted Renji's offer to come to his house and tend to him for the next few days. Renji hadn't missed the flash of surprise in Byakuya's eyes at his own words. He was pretty sure that Byakuya was feeling something…something that he wasn't quite ready yet to accept.

But that wasn't going to keep Renji from trying to figure this out. He would go to the Kuchiki home and somehow or other, he would find out just what it was that was happening between them. He wasn't stupid enough to simply leave it to Byakuya to make a move. Even if his taichou recognized and accepted having feelings for Renji, there was no way the proud noble would act on them…not unless he knew for a fact that Renji felt the same. If desiring someone who was beneath him in status was bad, then being rejected by someone beneath him would be intolerable. And after the humiliation Kuchiki Byakuya had just suffered, Renji was truly shocked that any of this was happening.

So logically, Renji knew he had to find a way to send a message…without being too obvious. If he was too obvious, he was likely to end up at the wrong end of Senbonzakura. He wasn't quite recovered enough for that…yet. For now, he should proceed with extreme caution. Unfortunately for Renji, caution was a thing that required something more of good sense and awareness of boundaries than Abarai Renji had been gifted with. In other words, he was, it seemed, doomed from the outset to do something incredibly clumsy and stupid. Luckily for him, angels exist to watch out for those with such foolish recklessness. But would his guardian angel be faster than an onslaught of sakura blades?

XXXXXXXXXX

_"What are you doing, Taichou?" Abarai Renji asked, looking into the quiet depths of the dark eyes that entrapped his._

_Byakuya's long pale fingers slipped beneath the top of Renji's shihakushou, sliding it back off of his tanned shoulders, baring the angry red lines and black tattoos that ran down the length of his fukutaichou's slender back. He gazed calmly at this, his expression serious, then leaned forward slowly and pressed his lips to the healing cuts, closing his eyes and letting healing light pass out of him and into Renji._

_As he explored the expanse of Renji's back, his softened tongue extended through parted lips and tasted the fiery reiatsu around them, the life-giving blood, and the sweetness of the tattooed skin. Gradually, the wounds gave way to the loving strokes of the taichou's lips and tongue. Even as they disappeared, leaving the fukutaichou's back free of the painful slashes, Byakuya's mouth continued to travel along the black lines, following them until they reached the beginnings of his hakama. He paused and straightened, returning to the warm shoulder. _

_Renji's face was turned away, but there was no missing the flush on the young man's throat. It was there that Byakuya's lips traveled next, nuzzling beneath the fukutaichou's chin, again healing the red markings and tracing the black lines until he felt Renji's heart racing beneath his lips._

_He paused for a moment, gazing down at the muscular chest and abdomen, then moved forward again, pushing Renji down onto his back. His fukutaichou fell back with a gentle release of breath that touched the raven black hair, moving it slightly as Byakuya continued his ministrations. Renji inhaled sharply as his taichou's warm tongue encountered an erect nipple and stopped to tease it gently in passing before moving across his chest and giving the other the same enticing treatment. Then he moved lower, still healing cuts and following tattoos until the pink tongue dipped into his navel and that perfect mouth closed on the area, sucking deeply. The resulting gasp of delight that rose out of Renji and the tightening of his powerful abdominals, sent a wave of pleasure through the noble, who crawled up Renji's torso and brought his body and mouth down onto his fukutaichou's, trapping him and treating him to a flurry of kisses that began lightly and deepened until both were open-mouthed and relentlessly tasting each other's depths._

_Byakuya's body was still at first, simply holding Renji in place, but with the deeper kisses, that warm body began to move, straining against the robe that still clothed the taichou. His hand fell to his waist and pulled the tie free, allowing the robe to be pushed aside and bringing the length of their heated bodies into skin-on-skin contact. Byakuya's body stung beneath the bandages, making him moan in pain, but he didn't want to stop. He didn't want these beautiful sensations to end._

"Taichou?" Renji's voice sounded panicked.

Someone was holding him down.

"Don't move, Taichou. Your wounds are bleeding again. I've called for a healer. Just try to hold still."

It took every bit of control he mastered not to tear free of the warm hands that held him and attack the tanned skin of the one who leaned over him. His wounds were stinging sharply now, bringing him back from the dream and he found himself suddenly grateful that his lower body wasn't what was about to be examined by the healers.

Abarai Renji released him and stepped away as the healers moved forward to examine his taichou's chest wound. As he backed away, he was surprised at the fact that his skin no longer stung with each movement as it had before. When he glanced down into the front of his shihakushou, he caught his breath sharply, marveling at the lack of any sign of his previous injuries. He glanced back at his taichou, his mind still reliving the calm, healing touches he had been dreaming he felt.

_What just happened_?


	2. Among the Sakura Petals

**Chapter 2: Among the Sakura Petals**

Abarai Renji was both surprised and not surprised by the simplicity of Kuchiki Byakuya's home. The grounds were large and certainly his taichou could have filled them with whatever sort of things he chose. And not surprisingly, there were things that would have cost more than Abarai Renji would ever see, let alone hold in his hands. Still, the furniture and décor seemed much more focused on comfort than displays of wealth. The colors all around were soothing and quiet. Wood and marble surfaces shined in warm earthen hues, and every place one might recline was soft and very comfortable.

The one place that actually looked luxurious was the garden area. He didn't know the names of even half of the plants and flowers, but they enchanted the hell out of him. Where the house was warm and earthen in tones, color seemed to burst forth and brighten everything here. Sakura petals wafted gently on the breeze and settled in the clear water of the huge koi pond. Renji decided that if he should ever have to die, he wished it might happen in a place like this.

"You seem to enjoy the gardens, Abarai fukutaichou," Byakuya's voice said from the bed behind him, "go out and have a closer look if you wish."

Renji nodded silently and stepped out through the open doors of Byakuya's bedroom into the gardens. As he went, his taichou's eyes followed him, and Kuchiki Byakuya was struck with the thought that here, too, Renji looked exotic and beautiful, something colorful and alive among his bright surroundings. And there was respect in the way he moved so slowly, taking in everything as if he didn't want to miss the smallest thing. As Byakuya watched, he paused for a moment, closing his eyes and just breathing in and out. It was surprising to see one so fiery and active be overtaken by such calm.

He hadn't realized that he was leaving his bed or that, still dressed only for sleeping, he slipped out of the doors himself and onto the garden path. But he couldn't seem to help himself. Renji was thoroughly enjoying himself here and Kuchiki Byakuya found that the gardens were even more alive, more enchanting while he walked there. He found himself suddenly at Renji's side.

"Taichou, aren't you supposed to be resting?" Renji asked.

"My body won't regain its strength very quickly if I do not start getting up and around. Walking is good for healing and I won't stay long."

Renji nodded. They continued walking the garden path slowly and while they walked, Renji asked questions about the names of the plants and flowers and to his surprise, Byakuya seemed quite willing, even pleased to answer his questions. Renji was seeing someone wholly different than the near-silent taichou who spent his days locked in the far less colorful Squad Six Office, poring over endless white pages and hardly saying a word. He wondered how two such different men could inhabit the same body. As they turned back toward Byakuya's room, Renji sighed contentedly and commented on how Taichou must sleep well surrounded by such beauty and calm. Inside his calm and controlled body, Byakuya felt his heart stir almost painfully.

"One must be at peace inwardly as well as outwardly to sleep well, Renji," he commented.

"Does that mean you are still not sleeping well, Taichou?" Renji asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"Do not concern yourself," Byakuya said calmly, "I am fine, Renji."

"I was going to say," Renji went on, "that if falling asleep is a problem for you, I may be able to help."

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.

"How?" he asked quietly.

"Just something I learned growing up," Renji answered, following Byakuya back into his bedroom, "Lie down while I go make your tea and I will show you when I come back."

Byakuya slipped back into the soft, comfortable bed and rested with his eyes turned still to the gardens, remembering how much more beautiful it seemed with Renji walking in it. No time seemed to pass before Renji stepped back into the room and set a cup of tea in his hands.

"Arigato, Renji," he said softly, accepting the tea.

The hand that delivered the tea withdrew a bit more slowly than usual and Byakuya felt his heart skip. He sipped at the tea, observing Renji with one dark upturned eye.

"You were saying before that you could help me sleep more…soundly," he said, finally breaking the silence.

He noticed that the tea tasted very slightly different, but in a surprisingly good way.

"It is an herbal mixture that I learned from a doctor who cared for me once when I was a kid in Inuzuri. Don't worry," he said, noticing Byakuya's uneasy expression, "it contains no drug, just soothing extracts of plants. It should relax you somewhat for what comes next…if you wish me to continue."

Now Kuchiki Byakuya was both soothed and curious. He finished the tea and handed the cup to Renji, who deposited it on the nightstand and sat down next to him on the bed.

"With Taichou's permissision?" Renji asked respectfully.

Byakuya nodded.

As curious as he was, after the first few touches, Byakuya lost awareness of his surroundings and drifted quickly towards sleep. None of the touches were suggestive and each was delivered with warmth and respect. And when Renji was finished, Byakuya was sleeping very soundly beside him.

Upon their arrival, Byakuya had instructed Renji that he was to sleep in a small recess in his room that was usually occupied by an attendant when Byakuya was ill or injured. Instead, Renji sat at Byakuya's side, gazing out into the garden and watching the stars move across the night sky. He hadn't intended to doze off there next to his taichou, but it had been a long day…and Byakuya's bed was extremely comfortable. He closed his eyes just for a moment and dropped off to sleep.

It was just Renji's luck that Kuchiki Byakuya was an early riser and Renji liked to sleep in. That fact gave Taichou time to consider carefully what to do upon waking in the early morning darkness to find Abarai Renji sleeping beside him. His first impulse was to shove him onto the floor as punishment for such a disgraceful thing…but, Renji had helped him to obtain the first good night's sleep he had managed since the day of the execution. He was still considering what to do when Renji turned in his sleep. A warm arm settled across his chest and Renji's head came to rest on his shoulder. The contact was, to say the least, unsettling. And after the dreams he'd been having, he wasn't completely sure that this wasn't one of them. He turned his head slightly and rested his chin on the top of his fukutaichou's head, thinking.

He knew what he should do. He knew it and he couldn't make himself move. Things simply felt too comfortable the way they were. So, he decided, perhaps just this once, he would allow himself the luxury of sleeping late. This way, when Renji woke, he would, most likely, retreat to his own bed. As long as Renji woke first there was no issue. He could simply ignore the fact of Renji sleeping beside him…couldn't he? After all, he was more than used to controlling his impulses, strong though they might be. Kuchiki Byakuya had more control than most…and still he nearly lost it when Renji shifted in his sleep again and Byakuya felt warm breath brush the skin on his throat.

A flash of heat passed through him and he knew he must have moved, because at that moment Renji's eyes opened. They opened and sleepily looked into his, slowly becoming aware of just where he was and who was looking back at him. Seeing the panic rising in his fukutaichou's eyes, Byakuya forgot for one moment all about controls and reacted on impulse.

Turning quickly, he caught Renji's lips with his own. His fukutaichou's body went taut for a moment, then slowly relaxed beneath him. The fact of that shocked Kuchiki Byakuya into really considering what he had just done. He hesitated for a moment, his lips still pressed warmly against Renji's. His fukutaichou felt the hesitation and responded by moving his own lips enticingly. The sensation woke something inside the noble, something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

He knew that if either of them stopped to think or said anything aloud, this fragile moment would shatter, so he parted his lips and gently teased Renji's with his tongue. Renji's mouth opened and Byakuya's tongue sank into it, finding his fukutaichou's tongue and curling around it, ensuring it would not make a move to ruin whatever this was that was happening. Meeting with no resistance, he moved on, stroking the myriad of surfaces, tasting the sweet remains of sleep and the herbal tea they had been drinking. As he slowly explored Renji's mouth, he studied the hazed look in the brown eyes and it nearly shattered what restraint he had left.

But they were both enjoying this…so why not continue?

That simple question brought everything to a screeching halt. He pulled away from Renji, his mouth still burning from the heavy contact. He was gathering himself to speak when he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a very heated, open-mouthed kiss, one that drove him down onto his back as his fukutaichou rolled onto him, trapping him with carefully positioned body weight and a hot, eager tongue.

He could easily have stopped what was happening. With one word or an angry shift of his body, he could have sent the message that such behavior was completely unacceptable, but as before, when Renji had walked in his garden, Kuchiki Byakuya was enchanted with how exotic he looked, eyes halfway closed and his body extended warmly on top of his taichou's.

Renji, for his part, had lost awareness of everything but the powerful man who rested beneath him. He ravished the full lips and opened mouth relentlessly, only pausing when a sharp change in reiatsu and a tension in his taichou's body reminded him that he had forgotten to allow Byakuya to breathe. He released his taichou's lips reluctantly, giving him time for a few shallow breaths before renewing his assault, releasing a flurry of nips and kisses down the length of the pale exposed throat.

Byakuya inhaled, prepared once again to stop Renji, but seeing the intent, his fukutaichou again claimed his mouth, silencing him with heat and pressure, teasing his tongue into motion, making it dance warmly against Renji's. Byakuya moaned softly and Renji remembered suddenly that he was still recovering from a chest wound. He looked down into his taichou's eyes and saw the traces of pain. With an effort…and no small amount of regret, he pulled away.

For a moment, there was silence between them.

Byakuya's cheeks and throat were lightly flushed and his lips were pink and slightly swollen from the heavy contact. His normally calm eyes were clouded with lust and Renji could still feel the sharp cadence of his taichou's heart racing beneath his hands.

"My apologies, Taichou," Renji said, climbing out of bed, "I shouldn't have let myself drift off there like that."

Byakuya opened his mouth to respond and was suddenly very relieved they had stopped themselves, when a knock sounded on his bedroom door and breakfast arrived. They moved to the garden patio and spent the next hour very carefully avoiding any discussion of what had happened in the bedroom. The staff would, of course, be discreet about whatever they saw or heard, but one could never be too careful…and Kuchiki Byakuya was already in enough trouble with the Kuchiki Elders as it was. They had objected strongly enough to his marriage to Hisana. If they found out he was…was…attracted to a male, and someone not of noble descent…it was highly likely that they would forget he was the strongest shinigami in the family's history and have him quietly assassinated. Then there was the whole issue of Renji being his subordinate. Such things occurred with startling regularity, he knew…but he was trying desperately to maintain some adherence to the rules. Aizen Sosuke's treachery might have tainted the rulings coming out of Central 46, but that didn't mean they could simply forget all of the established rules and codes as well. He had, in fact, overstepped by taking advantage of his fukutaichou's willingness to serve his needs as he recovered from his injuries. Renji came here to do a job…to perform a duty, not to satisfy the lust of his rule-breaking taichou.

And yet nothing in Abarai Renji's behavior suggested that the experience had been anything less than pleasant for him. He had, in fact, seemed to be quite accommodating. That stopped him for a moment as he came face to face with the question of what role he might be playing in Renji's life. There were place markers and there were serious relationships. What was he to Abarai Renji?

Not that it mattered, he reminded himself. It wasn't as though they could take things much farther without risking serious consequences. He could explain away some stray kisses, but if they actually made love, that would bring on a whole new host of issues. The more he thought about it, the more he resolved not to let it happen again. Yet when evening came and he retired to his room, Renji appeared with tea and again offered to use that unusual method of touch to calm him and help him fall asleep. He opened his mouth to refuse, but found himself, once again, accepting.

As before, he fell asleep easily, but this time he woke to find Renji gone from his bed. He looked into the servant's recess and found that it was empty. He started to go back to bed, but found melancholy returning. Why had Renji left without explanation? Had he done something to offend his fukutaichou? Could Renji be fearful that Byakuya might have been somehow put off?

His bare feet carried him out the doors of his bedroom and into the garden. He gazed up at the moon for a time, watching the stars and trembling softly from the autumn chill. Dropping to his knees, he settled beneath one of the sakura trees. He told himself that he didn't require company, that he preferred the calm and peace of being alone, but it rang hollow in his mind as he relived walking in the gardens with Renji, sharing his appreciation of all of the beauty there. It had been enjoyable, but Renji would only be helping out for another day or two, then life here in the Kuchiki home would return to the way it had been before the redhead had appeared to warm the environs. The thought nagged at Byakuya as he sat shivering beneath the sakura tree. He sat for some time mentally kicking himself for becoming dependent on Renji for anything. Eventually, sleep overtook him and he slowly sank to the ground on a bed of sakura petals.

When he woke again, his mind felt fuzzy and distant. He was vaguely aware that he had somehow returned to his room, but he didn't remember getting up from under the tree. His mind was foggy and he shivered with cold, even beneath the warm blankets. In the back of his mind, he realized now what must have happened. He had fallen asleep beneath the tree and had contracted a fever. Someone must have found him in the garden and returned him to his room.

Great…now in addition to having offended Renji somehow, he had left his staff with the impression that he had lost his mind. Because what person in his right mind would go sit in a freezing garden all night in sleeping clothes?

He felt a cool cloth on his forehead and opened his eyes. Warm brown eyes looked down at him with genuine concern.

"What were you thinking, Taichou? Why were you out in the cold like that?" Renji asked softly.

"Why did you leave?" he whispered back.

Now the eyes looked confused.

"I didn't leave," he replied quietly, "I was only in the kitchen making some herbal tea to help me fall asleep. I told you I would stay for a couple more days to help out. Besides, if I was going to leave, I would have told you."

"You do not need my permission to come and go. You are not bound to me."

"No," Renji replied, "I don't feel like I'm being forced to stay. I want to be here. I already told you…I like taking care of you. But you do require careful supervision, Taichou. You are far too inclined to wander off and get into trouble."

He would have had a hard time holding back a smile if he hadn't been shaking with cold.

"I cannot stay warm," he commented softly.

Renji nodded.

"Do you want me to lie down with you, Taichou?" Renji asked quietly.

He hesitated for a moment.

"Do you want to lie next to me, Renji?" he asked softly in return.

Renji leaned close, his breath tickling Byakuya's skin.

"I want to do more than lie next to you, Taichou," he whispered, "but the rest will have to wait until your fever breaks and you are well again."

After that, maintaining warmth was no longer a problem for either of them.


	3. A Reminder to Those Who Stray

**Chapter 3: A Reminder to Those Who Stray**

If there was one lesson that Kuchiki Byakuya wanted to avoid having to relearn, it was caution, so he made it a priority to prevent the exposure of what was happening between Renji and his wayward taichou. Now while in the privacy of his room, with the obvious reason for Renji's presence being the care of his taichou, he didn't feel he needed to worry overly much, but in one more day everything would change. He would be well enough to care for himself and to return to duty. After that, he and his fukutaichou would face much more serious scrutiny. At least, this was what he thought. Later, he would hate himself for his carelessness.

Still suffering the dregs of fever, he nevertheless found the warmth and scent of Renji's sleeping form too enticing to resist. He moved slightly to gain access to the soft skin of his throat, brushing it with heated breath and lips before slowly teasing the skin with his teeth and firm strokes of his hardened tongue. The reaction was instant. Brown eyes opened and met his questioningly.

"Ah…Taichou…is this…uh…is it wise?"

Byakuya exhaled a puff of breath.

"Of course not. Does it matter?"

Renji found himself a bit breathless.

"Does it…matter? You aren't well…" he murmured as Byakuya's mouth found his in the darkness.

"Hmm…as I recall, that is what started all of this," Byakuya replied between kisses, "Do you want me to stop?"

"Ahh…hah…hell, no!" Renji gasped, "I just…don't want you to…ah…to make yourself…ah, kami! Can you let me…"

"Shut up, Abarai," Byakuya hissed, biting down on his throat.

He attacked the black lines hungrily, following their path down his chest. He released the tie on his fukutaichou's robe and pushed it open, then followed the tattoos lower on his body, pausing to tease his navel, then stopping to gaze more intently at his handsome, naked form.

He realized suddenly that he was leaving familiar territory. He had never even contemplated touching another male's intimately. He paused, letting his breath out. He wanted this, but…

"Taichou," Renji breathed, "you shouldn't…"

It was also a matter of pride that he didn't want to be seen as naïve. He nipped gently at Renji's skin, giving himself time to think. Luckily for Kuchiki Byakuya, Abarai Renji was both perceptive and somewhat more worldly than his noble counterpart. Now…if he could just manage finesse…

"Taichou," he said softly, "please allow me…"

It was, Renji realized, a very dangerous moment. Up to this point, all they had done was some passionate kissing and petting. Moving beyond that meant progressing to levels of touch that could quite swiftly turn Kuchiki Byakuya's passion into anger…especially if not handled with sufficient attentiveness to his taichou's pride. He swallowed hard. Reaching for his taichou's face, he coaxed the noble back up to claim his mouth again, then cautiously turned him onto his back. The dark eyes flickered sharply, but Renji busied Byakuya's mouth with his, and managed to avoid evoking an objection. But the most dangerous territory, he thought grimly, lay ahead of him.

He moved so that he straddled Byakuya's body, then lowered himself slowly until he rested on top of the noble. Renji found that he was holding his breath and his taichou's reiatsu was rising sharply. He moved his hips to evoke a reaction and caught his breath sharply when Byakuya released a soft gasp of what sounded like pleasure. His taichou's eyes were narrowed and sparking dangerously, but when Renji moved again, they began to mist over and he responded, moaning softly. He tightened his legs around Byakuya and continued moving against him, while stroking the noble's heated tongue with his and letting his hands roam the soft pale flesh using touches meant to both relax and pleasure him. Renji breathed a soft sigh of relief as the tension drained out of his taichou's body and he relaxed into Renji's touches.

Renji gently pulled away from the noble's lips and loosed a torrent of strokes and kisses on his taichou's throat and chest. At the same time, his hands roamed slowly downward, moving along the curves of his body, stopping now and then to stroke a sensitive area gently, before continuing on.

He kissed his way down the length of Byakuya's torso, slowing as he approached the area most likely to get him killed if he touched it. But he had gotten this far and his taichou hadn't objected. He didn't want to stop a few inches from offering his taichou a taste of absolute bliss. He paused and looked up at Byakuya. The eyes that looked back at him were still glazed with fever, but were misted over and filled with desire. Renji's loins ached painfully at the sight. He hated risking having to stop at this point, but moving forward really required giving Byakuya some kind of warning…and, of course, a chance to refuse.

"Taichou?" he queried softly.

The less said the better.

Byakuya hesitated, gazing down at him in silence. Then, slowly, he nodded.

Renji released another soft sigh and moved downward,

_If you kill me for this, Taichou,_ he thought, _just do it quickly!_

From what he knew of Byakuya's late wife, Abarai Renji figured that the chances were pretty good that she had never offered to do for Byakuya what he was about to do.

He was absolutely correct in that suspicion.

That being the case, even with the warning he was given, Kuchiki Byakuya barely held on to his composure when Renji lowered himself and began a kind of lovely stimulation the noble had only ever imagined before.

The effect was dizzying. Byakuya moaned and panted softly as his fukutaichou slowly pleasured him. A tremor went through Byakuya and his reiatsu flared again. Too caught up in the moment to care, Renji threw caution to the wind and took another step forward.

"Abarai!" Byakuya hissed warningly.

But the force of his objection was lost as Renji continued to stimulate him relentlessly. Byakuya's objections disappeared and his words became unintelligible as each incredible motion brought him closer and closer to release.

Sensing he was close, Renji pulled away, earning him a seething glare and a moaning gasp of displeasure. His taichou's anger was quickly replaced with uncertainty as Renji moved again so that he straddled Byakuya's body and he slowly brought their bodies together. Byakuya shivered with pleasure. He forgot for a moment that he had promised himself that this would not happen, that mindful of the Elders' likely response if they ever found out, he would avoid such intimate contact…and that because Renji was his subordinate, he would never take the chance that such actions might be seen as abusive of his rank. As the heady rush of pleasure took hold of him, he forgot everything for a moment and just let himself feel.

Renji felt the heat radiating off of Byakuya and moved more quickly now, moaning as he neared release. Beneath him, Byakuya writhed and moaned wantonly and the sight of him lost in pleasure with all of his controls relinquished drove Renji over the edge. His body shuddered and his breath shortened into heaving gasps as he climaxed. Beneath him, Byakuya's body trembled wantonly, then he laid back panting and seeing a lovely array of stars. Renji's mouth took possession of his again and he experienced a moment of deep satisfaction at the pleasant, exotic taste he found there.

Finally, Renji pulled away and sank down beside Byakuya in a cloud of pillows, breathing deeply and letting awareness return. Some time passed before Byakuya realized that the door to the garden was standing partway open. He knew for a fact Renji had closed it before joining him in bed. He swallowed hard and tried not to think about the connotations of that. He wanted to believe that Renji had simply not closed the door correctly or that it had come open on its own.

But all of his suppositions went flying out the window the next morning when the summons from the Kuchiki Elders arrived.

As he read the summons, he sighed deeply, relieved that Renji had already left for the Squad Six Office. He sent a hell butterfly informing his fukutaichou that he would be delayed and dragged himself out of bed to dress for the dreaded occasion.

The formality of the occasion required full regalia, so he attired himself in full uniform for the first time since the day of the execution. Strangely, the kenseiken felt like a lead weight as he lifted it and eased it into place on his head.

He walked slowly to the Elders' Hall, breathing deeply to maintain a sense of calm. He paused as he entered the building and looked around. The door to the central chamber stood open and he could see the Elders assembled already at the large table in the chamber. He strode in as if nothing was wrong, moving to the head of the table and sitting down to await the call to order. Almost as soon as he took his place, the head elder stepped forward, gazing sternly at Byakuya and reading the agenda.

"Byakuya," he said, "This council has been called to address a serious breach of clan code which occurred on your property last night. This occurrence was witnessed by a house servant and was brought before us that we might consider the seriousness of it. We Elders feel that it reflects a pattern of behavior that is not going to be tolerated by our clan. As clan leader, it falls to you to set an example by adhering to the clan rules and codes. We had thought that after the last time you tried to circumvent the clan rules, that you had taken our words to heart. Indeed for a time, you did commit yourself to following our clan's rules, but you have now, for the second time, breached the code in such a way as will not be tolerated."

"To what are you referring?" he asked in reply.

"You were seen," the head elder announced, "debasing yourself with your peasant, male…fukutaichou."

There was a long moment of silence.

"I was not aware that the home of the clan leader was subject to espionage," he said softly, "I had supposed to be allowed the privacy accorded to all."

"You are not just anyone!" the head elder snapped, "We went through all of this when you insisted on marrying that peasant woman. We tolerated that, but this moves well into the range of intolerability! You indicated, upon your wife's death, that you wished to rededicate yourself to following the rules and codes of the clan. You said that you desired a structure to keep you from encountering the kind of chaos your former disobedience brought about. Have you forgotten this?"

"I have not."

"Do you deny that you have again broken clan rules by debasing yourself with this male peasant?"

"It is not the place of the Elders to invade the privacy of my home!"

"That is beside the point! It does not matter how the information came to us. It is the truth and now we will take action to prevent a repeat of this action. We tried accommodating you. We tried warning you what would happen if you transgressed again. Now we see only one path."

Byakuya dropped a hand to his hip and remembered belatedly that zanpakuto were removed upon entry to the hall. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, he thought as their power coalesced around him. He might be the strongest shinigami in the history of the clan, but even he was no match for eight well-prepared Kuchiki Elders. Their power held him tightly in place while the Elders gathered around him. One by one, they meted out the penalty for his transgression.

It was a matter of some pride to Kuchiki Byakuya that he held his silence against them. As each blow fell, he absorbed the shock with a carefully controlled expression and not the slightest sound. His attitude infuriated them and as the last of the Elders added their input, the ferocity of the blows increased until the head elder warned them that they risked doing serious harm. After that, he was able to ignore the rest, removing himself mentally as they did their best to make him repent for what he had done.

When it ended, he remained on his feet by sheer force of will. He waited until they had filed out before turning and starting out of the room. His only goal was not to show weakness. He didn't have to concern himself with there being visible evidence of the beating he had just taken. Any time a clan leader was punished, great care was taken not to leave any marks upon the body.

What did make an impression was the threat delivered into his ear as he stood frozen.

_"If this heedless rule breaking continues, this council will not simply concern itself with you. We will take action against Abarai as well. Think of that the next time you think of seeking intimacy with him!"_

Byakuya forced his body roughly into motion, maintaining a normal pace as he approached the Squad Six Office. He thought briefly of going back to the manor, but he didn't want to give the Elders the satisfaction of knowing they'd gotten to him. Instead, he walked to the office as if nothing had happened, slipping inside and sliding into his chair with a choked gasp.

Renji looked up sharply.

"Are you all right, Taichou?" he asked quickly.

"I am fine, Abarai fukutaichou. Do not concern yourself."

He settled down to work, willing the pain to disappear and the dizziness to ease. After a few minutes, it became clear to him that, in the expression of his defiance, he had pushed himself too hard. He barely managed to make it into the Taichou's Quarters in the back of the office before collapsing on the floor in a somewhat less than dignified heap.

He ignored the sound of his fukutaichou's voice and the knocking at the door of his quarters. He sat quietly on the floor catching his breath and trying to stop the ringing in his ears. Despite his dedication to not showing weakness, he found all of his machinations swept aside when Abarai fukutaichou decided that he had had enough and simply broke down the door.

Kuchiki Byakuya had dragged himself onto the edge of the bed by then. Calmly, he observed his fukutaichou with disdain.

"What is the meaning of this ridiculous behavior, Abarai fukutaichou?" he demanded.

Renji looked furious.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he snapped, "Taichou…you need to tell me who did this!"

Byakuya met his gaze squarely.

"I don't know what you mean," he said quietly.

"The hell you don't!" Renji said angrily, "I see it in your reiatsu! It's as plain as day."

"Then look again," Byakuya said calmly, "Look until you see nothing…because that is what is there."

"Why are you doing this? Why won't you tell me who did this?" seethed his fukutaichou.

"You forget yourself, Abarai fukutaichou," Byakuya said sharply, "I did not ask for, nor do I need your interference!"

"Interference?" Renji asked, mystified, "I'm supposed to just stand by and do nothing while someone beats the hell out of you?"

"Yes," said Byakuya quietly, "that is exactly what I expect you to do."


	4. Silk and Steel

**Chapter 4: Silk and Steel**

If Kuchiki Byakuya was possessed of strong will and power to match it, Abarai Renji was equally gifted with extreme stubbornness, a knack for fixing things, and an undeniable gift for dealing with creatures of high spirits. He put all of these to good use, trying to loosen his taichou's closely guarded tongue.

Byakuya's first act after refusing to discuss the details of his injury was to order his errant fukutaichou to fix the door he had broken down. His brown eyes nearly glowing red, Renji briefly abandoned the battle of wills to put himself to that task. As he worked at fixing the door, however, his mind was already planning round two of their battle.

As Renji went about fixing the door, Byakuya gingerly removed his haori and not wanting to endure the pain of getting up to hang it properly, he hung it instead over the chair he found within reach of the bed. Renji watched, fully aware that Byakuya was a stickler for details. This was completely out of character for him, so he must be enduring not a small amount of pain. Next, his taichou removed the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu and it joined the haori on the chair. Now Renji was certain that he was hurting, because he was sure he had never seen his taichou do such a thing. The gloves were removed next. Then he reached for the kenseiken. Out of the corner of his eye, Renji saw him wince and stop moving for a moment, blinking and taking a slow breath. Then he forced his arms to move and despite the pain, managed not to drop the headpiece as he set it on the chair as well. Now wearing just a shihakushou, he sank down slowly onto the bed, relieved not to have to support his body weight any longer.

Renji carefully reset the door on the hinges and applied glue to hold in place a piece that had broken. He closed and bolted the door from the inside, then returned to his taichou and calmly announced that, because of the drying glue, the door should not be opened for several hours.

At the news, Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes narrowed. He had not missed the look of challenge in his fukutaichou's eyes.

Abarai Renji's first 'attack' was to slowly deprive his taichou of the rest of his clothing, which he managed by offering to use his healing skill to relieve whatever pain he was feeling. Aware that Renji possessed better than average healing skills and being badly in need of some form of relief, Kuchiki Byakuya calmly accepted the offer. No explanation asked, none given.

Renji took his time with the healing, treating Byakuya's aching body to a slow assault of gentle healing touches and flows of spirit energy. Even as he gradually relaxed and dozed under the ministrations of his fukutaichou, Kuchiki Byakuya remained on guard for anything that felt like manipulation. When the healing was done, Renji prepared a cup of herbal tea and after it was finished, sent his taichou off to sleep with that odd method he had used to help him fall asleep before. As alert as he was to manipulation, Byakuya missed the beginning of the true battle. He was far too comfortable and far too deeply asleep.

As his taichou slept, Renji slipped out of his clothes and into bed next to Byakuya. He nuzzled his way into his taichou's embrace and dozed for a time before treating himself to the pleasure of running his fingers through the silken black hair, placing light kisses on the perfect mouth and soft throat. His hands slowly explored the soft skin of his chest and abdomen, before moving on to touch him more intimately.

A dark eye opened and glared at him warningly. Renji's hand withdrew, but continued to move gently over his taichou's body, soothing him and coaxing him back to sleep. And while his taichou slept, Renji waited. He waited and smiled, knowing now that he had the upper hand.

Strangely, even as he slept peacefully in Abarai Renji's arms, Kuchiki Byakuya was convinced that he was still in perfect control. He was about to be proven wrong.

Some time later, he woke to the realization that although he remained perfectly comfortable, he was unable to move beyond breathing and speaking. That meant that he could not use his sword or kido (which required incantation and motion) to address his situation. He angrily ordered his subordinate to release him, at which time Renji calmly reminded him that it was still daytime and they could be heard if he shouted. Naked and restrained on his bed, Byakuya decided not to chance having anyone else burst into the room to find him in such a disgraceful state. Instead he glared dangerously up at his fukutaichou and described in great detail what he would inflict upon said fukutaichou if he was not released immediately.

Abarai Renji couldn't help but be a bit chilled at the description. Byakuya had a quick temper and was known to have a heavy hand when crossed, but Renji estimated that he could work around that as long as his efforts occurred before his powerful taichou broke the restraints and ended the battle. Because there was no question in either man's mind that he could, and would free himself. Renji's success or failure was dependent on convincing his taichou that he didn't want to be freed, and he had a very short time in which to accomplish the task.

He carefully avoided kissing his taichou on his angry mouth and so was treated to an array of heated threats as he worked his way slowly from head to toe, treating each area with the loving attention of his mouth and hands. As his touches broke through his taichou's seething anger, the body beneath him slowly began to relax. Renji wasn't asking any questions and given that the contact was pleasant and non-threatening, Byakuya quietly gave himself over to enjoyment of it, all of the while considering how to punish Abarai later for stepping over the set boundaries of their association.

Feeling the retreat of his taichou's anger, Renji began a gentle seduction, first using touches meant to relax him, then deepening into the type intended to end in frenzied lovemaking.

Now Byakuya was straining against the kido that held him, but straining for more and deeper contact. Renji rested his body on top of Byakuya's and calmly explained the facts of the situation to him.

"Now, I figure I have about sixty seconds from the time you seriously decide to fight me and the moment you free yourself. In that sixty seconds, I can indulge you in something ultimately pleasant for both of us, but it might be a little degrading for you. The other option is for you to tell me what happened, after which I will free you and you can choose to punish me in any way you like."

No one was more surprised than Abarai Renji when Kuchiki Byakuya managed escape in ten seconds and the fukutaichou suddenly found himself restrained and looking up into a pair of mocking dark eyes.

"You were saying something, Fukutaichou?" Byakuya asked serenely.

"Ah…no, not really. I just meant to ask if you were feeling better now that you've rested, Taichou," Renji said, swallowing hard.

_Shit!_

"I see," Byakuya said, his lips twitching ever so slightly in amusement, "Abarai fukutaichou, I think it is time we established a few ground rules for our…'association.' First, I am never to be restrained in any fashion…"

He leaned close and delivered the rest into Renji's ear.

"…unless I specifically request it."

The words and heated breath sent a tremor through Renji.

"Secondly, I and no one else will decide what degradations I will be willing to endure…and you will offer no argument or manipulation, verbal or physical."

He slid a soft palm down the length of his fukutaichou's torso, moving slowly into the tangle of curls at its base and wrapping his hand firmly around Renji's swiftly hardening member. His fukutaichou almost launched off of the bed a moment later when his taichou slowly lowered himself and began to return the kind of pleasure that Renji had given him. It became immediately obvious to Renji that Byakuya was both highly intelligent and keenly observant as his manipulations swiftly brought his stunned fukutaichou very quickly to the edges of oblivion. There he paused and glared down at Renji.

"Third, I will share what things I think you should know, but I will not be forced to bare my soul at your command. Neither will I force information from you, but I hope you will yield it as you deem it necessary and appropriate."

He lowered himself as before, bringing Renji once again, painfully close to release. The redhead groaned when he relinquished his hold to deliver the next condition.

"Fourth, because of a situation within my clan, I must ask that you do not make it known that we have become…intimate. We may be able to be more open about this later on, but the situation is volatile right now."

"Shit!" Renji exclaimed, "That's what happened to you, isn't it? Those fucking Elders beat the hell out of you, didn't they?"

Byakuya's mouth took hold of his, and treated him to a long, penetrating kiss that left him too breathless to speak.

"Shh," Byakuya admonished him gently, "I am not finished."

Renji shivered and groaned happily as the noble's body slowly joined with his.

"Fifth…until I decide I am ready to experience it, I will take and not be taken."

Renji suddenly realized that he had been released by whatever force had been restraining him so that he could move again. The resulting shock of pleasure tore a gasp from his throat. His eyes fixed on Renji's blissful expression, Byakuya continued his intimate assault until Renji arched his back, moaning and released. The sound and the beautiful expression on his face brought Byakuya to climax shortly after. He fell heavily onto Renji's chest and lay there panting and slowly recovering. It was some time before he could deliver the last of his conditions. This last was delivered with light breathy kisses on the shell of an ear.

"And you may call me Byakuya when we are alone like this."

He turned so that his body rested against Renji's side and his head rested gently on one tattooed shoulder.

"Any questions?"

Renji could barely surface to give him an answer.

"None that I can think of right now…Byakuya."

"Good," Byakuya whispered, "I'm pleased we understand each other. It will make things much easier. Now I can conserve my energy for fighting the Elders."

"Taichou, you know I would understand if you didn't want to…to do this. I know how vile those people can be," Renji said, quietly stroking Byakuya's hair.

"What…nobles?" Byakuya said in a voice that sounded both distant and sad, "Anyone can be vile, Renji. Just like anyone can be honorable. I don't know why they have to be that way. They had this same reaction when I married Hisana."

"They beat you like this?" Renji asked, his voice low and angry.

"No…they weren't that determined to stop me then. They were concerned that I wouldn't marry at all. Finally, they decided to accept her because half-blood heirs are better than none. But my association with you precludes heirs altogether."

"That assumes we have a future," Renji said softly, "Is that what you want? Something long term…serious?"

"You're asking if I'm just using you because I'm alone. Think Renji, I didn't go for fifty years without a sexual partner so that I could indulge in short-term gratification now. I've never been one to waste my time seeking something that wasn't intended to last. So if that is your goal, Renji, you need to say so now."

Abarai Renji was silent for a time, which he spent placing a series of light kisses on Byakuya's face and throat. Finally, he answered.

"Byakuya, it's strange. Up until the day of the execution, I wanted to surpass you, to beat you…but something changed when you saved Rukia and it changed even more when I heard about what happened with your wife. You aren't the person I hated for taking Rukia away…or even the taichou I served up until now. You kept yourself hidden beneath rules, regulations and that damned pride of yours. I used to think you thought yourself superior because you're a noble, but you weren't too superior to marry a peasant woman for love. I thought that because you seemed to support Rukia's execution, that you were heartless, but a heartless man would not have been willing to step in front of Rukia when Gin attacked her. And since I stayed with you in the Squad 4 Healing Center, you've been doing something else unexpected…you let me take care of you. I really thought you had way too much pride to allow that."

"And?"

"And when you kissed me that first time, you surprised the hell out of me. Everything since has been a surprise too. I've figured out that I didn't know you at all. And I love the person I'm getting to know now. I love who you really are, Taichou."

"I think I've had it too easy, Renji. You are who you always have been. I love the friend who protected Rukia growing up. I love the warrior who fought to save her…even though he could have died for it. I love the loyal fukutaichou who stands by me and cares for me. I love who you are too, Renji."

"So what happens now?" Renji asked softly, "If you keep seeing me, won't the Kuchiki Elders come after you again?"

"No," Byakuya said in a worried tone, "They'll come after you. That's why we have to be exceptionally careful, Renji. There is a spy on staff at the manor. And I have felt eyes watching at other times."

"You do know that it won't work forever. They're going to figure things out eventually. What will we do then?" Renji asked.

Byakuya sighed heavily.

"I don't know. I just know I don't want to be without you, Renji. I don't want to be alone like I was for so long."

"You won't be," Renji promised, holding him more tightly, "I'm not going anywhere. And if you're lousy Elders do anything to hurt us, they will pay. "

"Renji…" Byakuya whispered, his dark eyes intense.

"You and I will make them pay."

Byakuya gave a small sigh.

"You have no idea what they'll do to have their way," he said softly.

"Byakuya," Renji said smiling, "The only one who is going to have his way with you…is me."

"Yes…" Byakuya whispered, "as long as you follow the rules…and remember your place."

"My place?" Renji repeated, "My place…is with you."

"That's what I meant Abarai fukutaichou," Byakuya said with the slightest fleeting trace of a smile.

Renji had to admit that despite his taichou's ability to halt his efforts at coercion, he was, in fact, pleased with how things had worked out. He was now in a serious relationship with the beautiful, complex noble. And it was going to be quite an adventure. Kuchiki Byakuya was very high strung, proud, untamed, and brazenly defiant. And those were just the things Abarai Renji loved most about him.

He wrapped his body warmly around his taichou's and they drifted off to sleep together.


	5. Accidents will Happen

**Chapter 5: Accidents Will Happen**

A soft breeze blew through the garden of the Kuchiki manor and in through the open doors of Kuchiki Byakuya's room. It teased the taichou's hair and added to the fatigue he already felt. Plagued by nightmares, he hadn't slept much at all. Although he longed for Renji to come and use his unique method of touch to help him obtain some much needed rest, he had not, as of yet, figured out which house servant had reported his activities to the Elders. He had watched carefully over the past several days and spent hours trying to remember any odd occurrences that might have bearing. But the Elders were skilled at this kind of thing. It was entirely possible that the servant in question might have been hypnotized or otherwise compelled so that they weren't even aware of the transgression.

He tried walking the path around the koi pond and through the gardens, but it did nothing to soothe him. All it did was to set him thinking about the day Abarai Renji had walked in the garden with him. And he couldn't afford to go that route. In any case, Renji was on assignment in Karakura Town and wouldn't be back until the next evening. It was best to avoid thinking about his fukutaichou.

He walked back to his room and closed the door. After indulging in a hot shower, he found his need for sleep overtaking his anxiety and he dropped off to sleep still wrapped in a towel.

_"We warned you what would happen if you didn't stop this nonsense," a cold voice said, "And still you do not take us seriously. We are finished tolerating your defiance, Kuchiki Byakuya. And yet, we need your power to maintain our place here in the Seireitei. We have only one recourse left. If you will not see reason. If you will not stay away from him, we have no choice, but to remove the temptation. As we speak, Abarai Renji is dying."_

_He caught his breath, reaching out to feel Renji's reiatsu. It was there for a moment, strong and normal…then it flashed and started to recede._

_He flash stepped away then, moving at top speed, his only concern to reach Renji before the reiatsu faded entirely. He closed in on it and flashed toward it. He stopped at the edge of a park, peering ahead into the darkness. A body lay still on the ground. He was at his fukutaichou's side in an instant, but he could see it was too late._

"Renji!" he cried, jumping awake.

As before, the chill was still on his skin.

"Kami, why won't it stop?" he whispered.

Kuchiki Byakuya could not close his eyes again for the rest of the night.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Renji," Ichigo said, sliding Zangetsu into his sheath, "That hollow almost ate you and you hardly seemed to notice."

"Shut up, Ichigo," Renji muttered, sheathing Zabimaru, "I saw him in time. I was just…distracted."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Distracted, huh. Getting distracted during a battle can get you killed. And if that happened, Kuchiki Taichou'd probably come and Ban Kai your dead ass for getting killed in such a stupid way."

"Maybe," Renji admitted, "but…"

"But nothing," Ichigo said laughing, "He would and you know it."

Ichigo stepped closer, his eyes becoming playful.

"Well, now that that is taken care of…" he said, reaching for Renji.

Renji stepped back. Ichigo stared for a moment, then he smiled.

"What's wrong, Renji? Not in the mood? Usually fighting hollows…"

"I'm seeing someone now," Renji said softly, "and it's serious."

Ichigo grinned.

"What, did Kuchiki Byakuya finally let you…"

"Shut up!" roared Renji, cutting him off, "Don't talk about Byakuya that way!"

Now Ichigo stared.

"You just called him…"

"I said, shut up, Ichigo!" Renji snapped, placing a hand on his zanpakuto.

"Hey," said Ichigo, looking more serious, "I was actually asking if he finally let you date Rukia seriously…but…you called him Byakuya."

Renji shrugged.

"He isn't here. Besides, you always do."

"Yeah," said Ichigo with narrowed eyes, "but he's not my taichou. He can't make me follow his orders. And you never call him that. Renji, you're sleeping with Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Renji stared at him, but couldn't think of a thing to say.

"You know," said Ichigo, "I don't know whether to congratulate you or prepare for your funeral. Kuchiki Byakuya, eh? And you say it's serious?"

"Ichigo…no one's supposed to know," Renji said quietly, "so you can't say anything."

"What's with that?" Ichigo asked, "Why don't you want anyone to know. I mean, I understand he's your taichou, but…doesn't that kind of stuff happen all the time?"

Renji shook his head.

"Not if you're the leader of the Kuchiki Clan, it doesn't," he said, sitting down on the grass.

Ichigo dropped down beside him.

"What…he's pulling that 'I'm a noble and you're nothing' crap?" he asked.

Renji shook his head, looking annoyed.

"No…come on, he isn't like that…not really. He's been…different since the day of the execution. Ichigo, he was humiliated. You know that. No, the problem isn't him at all. Taichou has been struggling, trying to put Aizen's betrayal behind him. I was helping out at the manor because he was getting over his injuries…and it just…happened."

"Renji, if he's not the problem and you both are serious, then what is the problem?" Ichigo asked.

"The problem is the Kuchiki Elders. Kuchiki Taichou is the clan leader, but the Elders have a lot of power. They were pissed at him already because he married a peasant. They lost it when they found out we were…together. Ichigo, they called him to their meeting, restrained him and beat him so he could barely stand…and they told him that if we didn't stop what we were doing, they'd come after me next."

Ichigo's eyes blazed.

"But Byakuya is…"

"Yeah, he's strong, Ichigo, but they were Kuchiki's also…and there were eight of them. And Kuchiki Taichou was taken by surprise. When he married Hisana, they threatened, but they never did anything like this. I don't think he believed until that moment that they really would."

"So…they did this and he…still wants to be with you? Even knowing now what they could do?"

"We love each other, Ichigo. We're going to be careful, but we're not going to let them take this away."

Ichigo gazed at Renji with genuine concern in his eyes.

"You do realize that they will find out. And when they do, you'll be in danger, Renji. Are you sure this is worth it? I mean, Byakuya is beautiful. I see why you want to be with him. But is it really worth dying over?"

Renji sat for a moment, breathing the fresh air and remembering the weight of those dark eyes, the warmth of his taichou's body close to his.

"Yeah, Ichigo," he said softly, "Taichou is definitely worth dying for."

"Damn," sighed Ichigo, "You're determined to do this, huh? I don't suppose I can talk you out of it. So I'll just have to try to help you. Renji, if they do anything to hurt you…I'll destroy them."

Renji laughed sadly.

"Yeah, sure you will, Ichigo. You just keep dreaming…"

They were quiet for a moment.

"So," Ichigo said finally, "How does Rukia feel about the two of you being together?"

Renji's eyes widened.

"We haven't told her yet. We haven't told anyone…but obviously, someone at his manor found out. And that person told the Elders."

"So I take it you don't want me to say anything to her?"

"No…you need to let Byakuya or me do that. It's going to be a bit of a shock. She still thinks I want to pursue her. We've been friends for so long…We need to be the ones to explain."

Ichigo nodded and climbed to his feet.

"Okay, I won't say anything to anyone…but I have your back, Renji. If the Elders try to fuck with you, they're going to get more than they bargained for!"

"Thanks Ichigo," Renji said, staring off across the grass.

"I've got to go," Ichigo said, "Dinner is waiting at home. You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm going back to the Seireitei tomorrow. We can meet and talk before I go."

Ichigo nodded and flash stepped away.

Renji sat watching the park darken around him, annoyed at the thought of spending another night being teased to death by that stupid kid at Kisuke Urahara's. He consoled himself with the fact that it was only one more night. After that, he would return home…and to his taichou. The thought warmed Renji as he rose and dusted himself off. He turned and started toward Kisuke's.

He barely caught the change in the reiatsu in time to turn and face the ones who came out of nowhere and took hold of him. He didn't even get Zabimaru free of the sheath before they had him restrained and blindfolded on the ground.

"This a warning, Abarai Renji. When you return to the Seireitei, you will seek to be transferred to another unit. You will not tell anyone the true reason why. You will not disgrace this clan by continuing to debase our clan leader. If you do, we will kill you. Do you understand?" asked a cold voice.

"Go to hell!" he shouted, twisting to try to free himself.

There was a moment of silence.

"You wish to oppose the Elders?" the cold voice said emotionlessly, "Then we shall convince you otherwise."

When the Kuchiki Elders were finished with Abarai Renji, he lay bloodied and unconscious on the ground. Unlike they had done with Byakuya, they didn't trouble themselves with whether or not the damage was visible.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Nii-sama! Nii-sama! You must come quickly!" called a frantic voice outside Byakuya's door.

Byakuya turned away from the garden doors and grabbed a robe. He flash stepped to the inner door, tying the robe at his waist as he went. He opened the door to find Rukia standing outside, pale faced and crying.

"What is it?" he said, sounding far more calm than he felt.

"Nii-sama, it's Renji!"

His heart skipped painfully, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"Tell me what has happened, Rukia," he said softly, already suspecting.

"Nii-sama, he was attacked in the living world…"

"By hollows?" he asked.

"No, we don't know who. But it wasn't hollows. Ichigo felt his reiatsu declining and went to investigate. He said it was your fault, Nii-sama! He said you would know who did this and why. They are at the Fourth Division. He is furious…and he says he wants to see you."

Byakuya stood frozen for a long moment. Then he turned back to his room.

"Go ahead of me, Rukia," he said softly, "I'm sure you're very worried about Renji. You should go and sit with him. I will come as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Nii-sama."

Rukia bowed and raced away.

Byakuya dressed quickly, trying to calm the frantic feeling inside. Now, of all times, he had to control himself. Renji was, at very least alive, but Ichigo knew that what had happened to Renji was his fault, and while Renji would never blame him for the actions of the Elders, Ichigo would. And Byakuya was already doing a wonderful job of blaming himself.

The streets of the Seireitei flashed by in streams of color as he raced toward the Fourth Division. The Healing Center loomed up before him before he was quite ready to see it. Byakuya slowed and took a deep steadying breath before calmly ascending the steps and stepping inside.

Ichigo spotted him immediately and flash stepped across the room. He motioned for Byakuya to follow him into an empty room. Frowning, Byakuya followed. Ichigo closed the door. Byakuya withdrew his weapon and staring at Ichigo, raised a sphere of petal blades around him.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked, anger plain in his voice.

"For privacy," Byakuya explained, "and because, Kurosaki Ichigo, I can see that you are inches from deciding to attack me. This will ensure that no one hears…and that we both walk out of here in one piece."

"Fine!" Ichigo snapped, "Now, do you want to tell me what in the hell you thought you were doing?"

"I don't know what you mean," Byakuya replied quietly.

"The hell you don't! Renji told me you were sleeping with him! He said the Elders had already warned you they would come after him! Why the fuck didn't you take the hint? If they beat the hell out of you, what put it in your head that they wouldn't do worse to Renji!"

"Are you certain it was the Elders who did this?" Byakuya asked, already aware of the truth in Ichigo's claim.

"Yeah…I know it was…because this was next to him. It's addressed to you. I think we both know who it's from. Go ahead, open it, Byakuya. We both know what it is."

He threw the bloodied envelope at Byakuya's feet."

Byakuya lowered his eyes.

"I don't need to open it. The reiatsu is theirs. You are correct, Ichigo. It was the Elders," he admitted.

"So now, Buakuya…what are you going to do? Renji could die! Are you going to do the right thing?"

Byakuya blinked slowly.

"The…right thing?" he queried softly.

"Turn around and walk out of here. And do what they say. Abarai Renji might think fucking you is worth it. But I don't. And I won't let one of my closest friends die because of you and your crazy family. Go, Byakuya, get away from here before they come back and kill him!"

Ichigo turned away.

"Let me out of here," he demanded.

Byakuya remained silent and did not drop the sphere.

"I said, let me out!" Ichigo shouted.

Byakuya sighed.

"I will let you out. I will also leave as you have asked. But before I do, you will listen to what I have to say."

Ichigo turned back, his eyes flaring dangerously. He started to speak, but was suddenly silenced by what he saw in Kuchiki Byakuya's expression.


	6. Circle of Friends

**Chapter 6: Circle of Friends**

Ichigo stared at Byakuya in fascination, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. The noble stood, tall and straight-backed as always, his head held high. But despite the strong stance, the carefully controlled features, the one place where Kuchiki Byakuya's emotions were laid bare was just beneath the surface of those steel gray eyes. They were clear and deep, free of tears, but Ichigo was possessed of the ability to see beneath it. And here, in such close quarters with the Gotei 13 Taichou, it was obvious to him what Kuchiki Byakuya was feeling. Guilt. Ichigo realized in that moment that his anger in this situation might just have been misplaced and that if he had wanted Kuchiki Byakuya to suffer for what had happened to Abarai Renji, he needn't have opened his mouth at all. The Gotei 13 Taichou was very obviously doing a good job of doing that to himself. And seeing this made Kurosaki Ichigo pause, finally allowing the noble a chance to speak.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya said calmly, "I will not waste my breath justifying how or why this began. Neither will I argue that it should continue, whatever my personal feeling in this might be. I know you are furious with me for starting this, but you need to understand that I underestimated the intolerance of the Kuchiki Elders. While I am possessed of great power, I lack the power to oppose their will head-on this way. And I obviously cannot protect Abarai Renji from their reach. Let me assure you that my feelings for Renji are genuine and if there was a way for me to…"

He trailed off, swallowing hard.

"If there was a way for me to stop them, to be with Abarai Renji openly, I would stop at nothing to achieve that. But you see now, as I do, what the Elders are capable of. You see the power that opposes us and you were correct in chastising me for letting this happen. I shouldn't have let the feelings I have leave the confines of my heart. It was foolish of me to do that and it has caused nothing but disaster. So, I will end things here. I will go. Just, do me one favor, Kurosaki Ichigo. Do not tell Renji why I did not come to him. You and I both know it would only encourage him to fight them all the harder."

He paused again, surprised by what he saw rising in the substitute shinigami's eyes. They were still fiery and filled with anger, but it felt different to him somehow.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked quietly, "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Yeah," said Ichigo, "That's what I wanted. You see, I was convinced that that was the right thing to do. Now I'm not so sure. So I'll ask you one time, Kuchiki Byakuya. Are you in love with Abarai Renji? And if so, are you willing to risk everything to defend that love?"

A long breathless moment passed as they stared silently at each other. Finally the proud noble bowed his head.

"Yes," he said very softly, "and yes."

Slowly Ichigo nodded.

"Then why are you wasting time standing here and arguing with me, Kuchiki Byakuya? Shouldn't you be in there with Abarai Renji?"

Byakuya blinked in surprise.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I thought that you agreed that going on with this was only going to endanger Abarai Renji. I've told you that I don't have the power to fight them."

"Yeah, you did. But now you need to know that it doesn't matter that they have more power. It doesn't matter…because now you and Renji don't have to fight them alone. I want to help you. No, I'm determined to."

Kuchiki Byakuya stared in stunned silence.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked finally.

"I'm doing this because it's what Renji wants. You know, Byakuya, Renji is in love with you. And you just showed me that you love Renji enough to walk away from him for his protection. Now you don't have to…because you and Renji are not alone anymore."

There was a flash of hope and then Byakuya's face was calm and unreadable again.

"You can't fight the Kuchiki Elders…"

"Maybe I can't do that on my own any more than you or Renji can," he admitted, "but if we gather our friends and work together…"

"Even your friends cannot overcome the power of the Elders, Ichigo. No. It is better that we just…"

"Just what, Byakuya? Let them tear you two apart? Don't give them that power. We can stop them. Don't forget, I am also friends with Urahara Kisuke and Shihoin Yoruichi. If you are concerned about power, you might remember that."

"Why would they want to help me?" Byakuya asked softly, "when so recently I opposed their efforts to save Rukia?"

Ichigo smiled.

"Easy…because helping you and Renji is the right thing to do. They're going to know that. We're all going to help you and Renji, Byakuya, and then you and Abarai Renji will be free to express your love for each other in any way you choose!"

Once again, Kuchiki Byakuya found himself at a loss for words. Silently, he recalled the power of his zanpakuto and the pink petal blades around them faded. He followed Ichigo out of the small room and across the main lobby to the room where Abarai Renji lay recovering from emergency surgery. As they stepped into the room, Rukia looked up and gasped when she saw Byakuya.

"Nii-sama, where is your uniform? Your scarf? Your kenseiken?" she asked, staring at the simple kimono he wore and the way his hair was pulled back and restrained in a red hair tie.

"It was an emergency," he said simply, "There wasn't time to dress formally."

Rukia nodded.

"How is he?" Byakuya asked softly.

"Come and see for yourself, Nii-sama. He is much better now. When we arrived, they said they did not know what would happen, but now they say he will recover. I am so happy, Nii-sama! I was so worried!"

Byakuya nodded. He slipped into a chair next to Renji and quietly took his hand. Rukia stared in surprise and glanced up at Ichigo, who looked back at her smiling.

"Nii-sama?" she said questioningly.

Byakuya sighed.

"Rukia, I think it will come as a shock to you…but…Renji and I are…seeing each other," he said, his eyes on Renji's face.

"Seeing…each other, Nii-sama?" she repeated, mystified.

"We are…intimate," he explained, his cheeks lightly flushing at the words.

Rukia stared wide-eyed.

"But…Nii-sama, you…you were married to my sister," Rukia said in a stunned whisper.

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, "and I loved Hisana with all of my heart. I was lost when she died. But it seems that I wasn't meant to be alone, after all, Rukia. I am in love with Abarai Renji…and he says that he loves me. Can you accept this?"

Rukia rose and slowly walked around the bed. She placed her arms very lightly around him. Byakuya stiffened for a moment, then the tension drained from his body and he let his head drop onto her shoulder.

"Of course I can accept this…Nii-sama. If you love Abarai Renji…then you should be together."

"Arigato, Rukia, arigato," Byakuya said softly into her shoulder.

They sat quietly for a time, watching Renji sleep.

"Rukia, you know that the council of Elders opposes my being with Renji?" Byakuya asked.

"Yes, Nii-sama, I know they were opposed to you marrying my sister because she was a peasant, so certainly they would oppose you and Renji being together," she said, looking up at him.

"It was the Elders who did this," Byakuya admitted to her, watching her face carefully for her reaction.

He expected anger, maybe directed at him, but Rukia just looked back at him for several silent minutes.

"Byakuya, they are horrible…but you shouldn't let them break the two of you apart. If you love each other, then you and Renji should not let them get in your way."

"Again…arigato, Rukia," Byakuya said softly.

"Nii-sama," she said, daring to tighten her arms around him, "I want you to be happy. My sister would want this too. If Abarai Renji makes you happy, then I support your being together."

Byakuya said nothing more, but leaned into her embrace, his eyes still watching Renji.

XXXXXXXXXX

Late that night when Abarai Renji woke, the first thing he saw were Byakuya's dark gray eyes staring down into his. His taichou's face looked calm, but Renji could see the signs of worry and the darkness around his eyes.

"Kuchiki Taichou," he whispered, "where are we?"

"We are in the Fourth Division Healing Center, Abarai fukutaichou. How are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling?" Renji said with a little smile, "I'm feeling like I got the shit beaten out of me, Taichou…but I'll be all right."

"Good…Unohana Taichou said you should make a full recovery, but that you will need at least a week of good rest. I have arranged for us to spend that time in the living world…Karakura Town," Byakuya explained.

"Us?" Renji asked quietly.

"Yes," Byakuya replied, looking into the warm brown eyes, "I have plenty of leave time and I want to go with you. You took care of me while I was recovering from my wounds…now I want to be with you…to take care of you while you recover from yours. That is…if you want me to be there. I know the Elders…"

"Fuck the Elders, Byakuya," Renji said abruptly, "I want you with me."

Byakuya's expression barely wavered, but Renji felt the surge in his reiatsu. He took his taichou's hand and very gently kissed his fingers, then turned the hand and kissed his warm palm.

"Where's your kenseiken and scarf?" Renji asked, "I've only seen you without them that once."

"I was in a rush when I left home. I hadn't time to dress formally. I had to get to you, Renji. I didn't know what was going to happen."

"Well, I'm fine. I'm going to be fine, now."

He studied Byakuya's worn demeanor.

"You haven't slept at all since I came back, have you?" he asked.

"No," Byakuya admitted, "I haven't slept since the day you left."

Renji brought Byakuya's hand to his cheek.

"Well, we'll catch up on lost sleep in Karakura Town. When do we leave?"

"Unohana Taichou is arranging for us to leave quietly tomorrow. I don't know how it will be done, but we hope to pass into the living world without the Elders sensing it. Once we arrive, Urahara Kisuke has arranged for us to have a house. Shihoin Yoruichi, Urahara, and some others will watch to make certain we are not found there. And when you have recovered, they will help us to confront the Elders."

"Shit!" Renji breathed, "You've been busy while I was out."

"It wasn't so much me, Renji. Kurosaki Ichigo and the others were eager to protect you from further harm."

"I'm going to be fine, Taichou, don't worry."

Byakuya nodded.

"I've made you some tea. Would you like it now?" Byakuya asked, reaching for the cup.

"You can make tea, Taichou? Then why…"

"I didn't say I made it well, fukutaichou," Byakuya said with the barest of smiles.

Renji took the cup from his hand and sipped from it. Then he looked up at Byakuya with a confused expression.

"You don't like it?" Byakuya asked softly.

"Taichou…the tea is perfect. But if you make tea so well, then why do you have me prepare it for you?" Renji asked.

Now Byakuya's lips curved into a full smile.

"Why Abarai fukutaichou, I thought you told me that you enjoyed taking care of me."

Renji laughed softly, then winced.

"I do…I just…didn't know you liked me taking care of you so much. I thought you just did it because I asked you to."

"Well," Byakuya said quietly, "sometimes people can surprise you, Renji."

He leaned forward and kissed Renji very gently on the mouth, brushing away a stray bit of tea on Renji's lips. As he started to pull away, Renji curled a hand around the back of his head and pulled him close, capturing his mouth in another deeper kiss…then another. Finally, Byakuya pulled away.

"You should get some rest, Abarai fukutaichou. Tomorrow could prove to be a bit harrowing."

"What about you?" Renji asked, "You probably need the rest as much as I do if not more, Kuchiki Taichou."

"Nonsense," Byakuya said, glancing out the window, "I am fine. I will keep watch while you sleep."

Renji's eyes narrowed.

"There are others keeping watch over us tonight, Kuchiki Taichou, aren't there?"

Byakuya stared back at him silently.

"I thought so. That means that you and I can both sleep tonight."

"Abarai…Renji…" Byakuya said as Renji reached for him, "at least allow me to lock the door."

Renji released him.

"Just be sure you don't try to run off," Renji said, smiling.

"I have no intention of leaving," Byakuya assured him gently.

Byakuya locked the door, then returned to Renji's side. Renji caught the tie at the waist of his kimono and pulled it free. Byakuya shrugged and the kimono slipped off of his shoulders and dropped with a whisper of sound to the floor. He leaned over Renji to kiss him and as he did, his fukutaichou reached up and pulled the tie from his hair, releasing it in a dark swirl around his face. He sank his fingers into the dark hair and fastened his mouth on Byakuya's pulling him onto the bed.

"Is there room enough?" Byakuya asked softly, between kisses.

"There's plenty of room…just let me turn so I can rest against you."

Renji shifted over to make room, wincing at the motion.

"Stop…I don't want you hurting yourself," Byakuya said, starting to get up.

"Get back here, Taichou," Renji said grabbing his hand and pulling.

He shifted again, leaving enough room for Byakuya to join him. Byakuya slipped beneath the blanket and lay on his back, pulling Renji gently to rest on his chest.

"Do you need help falling asleep, Taichou?" Renji asked in a whisper.

"You don't have to…"

But Renji's hands were already moving. Byakuya's eyes quickly misted over and gently closed. Within minutes, he was asleep. Renji rested his head on Byakuya's chest and closed his eyes. Moments later, he was asleep as well.


	7. Losing Control

**Chapter 7: Losing Control**

Kuchiki Byakuya had a reputation for strength and power. He was always one treated with deference by others and feared by pretty much everyone. It was a reputation which he deserved and was even proud of…and that was why Abarai Renji could not be more confused. With their arrival in Karakura Town, Byakuya's personality had undergone a significant change. It left Abarai Renji wondering…is this real?

He still radiated with power and he expected to have his way about certain things, but there was a warmth to him that Renji had only seen more recently. And this newer Byakuya was nurturing. He made all of the meals, cleaned around the house and kept Renji company when he was bored. But the most significant change was that he actually held real conversations with Renji, more than just the clipped exchanges they had shared in the Squad Six office in the Seireitei. All in all, he just seemed much more human. That led to Renji's confusion.

Renji laid in bed, gazing out the window at the rain. Even if he could get out of bed, there wouldn't be much to do. He sighed softly and tried to close his eyes, but if anything, he had had too much sleep. And in any case, sleeping all day would only mean he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Not that he could sleep anyway…not with his taichou sleeping curled around him every night. The thought made him smile, but the smile was followed by a bit of annoyance. As much as Abarai Renji loved spending night after night in Kuchiki Byakuya's arms, his taichou steadfastly refused to make love to him until he decided that Renji was well enough. But that didn't mean that Renji hadn't attempted to persuade him.

'Well enough,' Renji thought, was something open to interpretation, but his taichou wasn't one to just cave in to other opinions. Kuchiki Byakuya was much too stubborn. If Renji wanted him, he was just going to have to convince Byakuya that he was well enough. In truth, he knew he was still in poor shape…but he could be convincing. And to feel Kuchiki Byakuya give in to him, Renji would do just about anything.

"Ah, you're awake. Good," Byakuya said from the doorway, "I have your lunch."

As he walked in, Renji marveled at how different he seemed in a gigai and in human clothes. Unlike in the Seireitei, here Byakuya dressed in a more casual fashion, soft cotton shirts and form fitting jeans. He wore his hair pulled back and fastened with a red hair tie. The strands usually held back by the kenseiken were allowed to escape and drop down over his left eye. All in all, he looked so much less formidable, so much more approachable…and so tempting!

He set the tray on Renji's lap and started to turn away.

"Taichou?"

Byakuya paused and looked back.

"I told you that you don't need to call me that here. While we are in Karakura Town, you are to call me Byakuya."

"Hai, Byakuya. But I wanted to ask you. Are you busy right now?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"I was just going eat lunch as well," he answered.

"Then come and sit with me. I'm bored. I can't stand all of this lying around."

The gray eyes flickered.

"Very well then, Renji. Would you like some tea?"

"Sure thing, Taichou…I mean, Byakuya. Tea would be great."

He disappeared out the door and reappeared a few minutes later with his own meal and two cups of tea on a tray. He set this on the nightstand next to Renji's bed and pulled up a chair. Handing Renji a cup of tea, he turned back to the tray and began to eat. Renji ate as well, all the time curious about how Taichou had become so skilled at meal preparation. Finally, he couldn't contain the question anymore.

"Byakuya?"

The gray eyes rose to meet his.

"Can you tell me where you learned to cook so well? I know your family has a skilled cooking staff that prepares meals for you. How is it that you learned to cook?" he asked.

Byakuya gave him a look that was just short of a smile.

"When I joined the Gotei 13, I was assigned a tour of duty in the living world. There were only two of us sent and my colleague was…unfit for the job. He burned everything. I quickly realized that it was either learn to cook or suffer his awful cooking for the duration of the assignment," Byakuya explained.

"But how exactly did you learn?"

I read books on the subject and tried a few recipes. They ended mostly in disaster. Then one day I was watching a television program. Once I watched food being prepared by someone who knew how, I was able to pick up on the skill rather quickly."

"So what did your colleague think?" Renji asked, sipping at his tea.

"He couldn't tell the difference. I think he had eaten his own cooking for so long that he no longer had functional taste buds."

Renji laughed softly, then stopped short in surprise.

"You made a joke," he said smiling.

Byakuya nodded, his expression serene.

"It has been known to happen," he said quietly.

As they continued eating, Renji stole occasional glances at Byakuya and wondered again at the difference in his behavior.

"Byakuya," he said after a few minutes of thinking, "I have to ask you something important. Why did you kiss me that first time? I mean, I know part of it was because I fell asleep in your bed, but…"

"But there was more to it than opportunity," Byakuya finished, "I don't know if I can give a good answer to that."

He turned to look out at the rain.

"After our battle, I realized that I had feelings for you that did not make sense to me. I started having dreams in which we shared an interest in each other."

"So it was because of these dreams?" Renji asked.

Byakuya considered the thought for a moment.

"No," he said softly, "It wasn't that. It was that when I thought about our battle afterward, I kept seeing the way you looked when you charged me that last time. You knew you were doing the right thing and you were willing to die for that. It was in your eyes. Then when I asked you to come to the manor and I saw you walking in the garden, I thought that you looked as exotic and beautiful as the flowers there. But even that wasn't enough."

"So what made you kiss me?" Renji asked again.

"I don't know," Byakuya admitted softly, "I imagine it was some part opportunity, some part instinct, some part desire."

"Hmm…" said Renji, "But why me?"

The dark eyes fixed on Renji.

"I think all creatures look for another who complements them. I conceal emotion…you cannot contain it. My enemies fear me for my power…yours fear your physical strength."

He reached over and took Renji's hand.

"And did you notice the way my paler skin seems brighter set against the tan of your skin? Even the red color of your hair is brightened when set against the black of mine. You see? We complement each other."

Renji leaned over and brushed his lips gently against his taichou's. Byakuya sat perfectly still.

"But we're alike, too, Renji," he went on in that same soft tone, "We both feel. We are both feared for our strength. We are both spirit creatures."

He turned to watch the rain fall outside the window again.

"Humans in love will sometimes go to a jeweler and have a coin cut with a special implement. The coin is cut in half with interlocking shapes, and then is separated onto two chains, one for each lover to wear around his or her neck. Because of the method used to cut them, they will never match perfectly with another coin cut the same way. You may only join the two halves that came from the same coin."

Renji looked mystified. Byakuya squeezed his hand gently.

"It just means that love is a choice that, once made, changes you. And when you find it, you know that it cannot be found anywhere else."

Renji realized suddenly that he was holding his breath. He released it in a long sigh, leaning forward to bring his lips to Byakuya's again.

"But you loved Hisana…Doesn't that mean…?"

Byakuya sighed.

"Loss changes things, Renji. When I lost Hisana, the person who loved her…who she loved, ceased to exist. It was necessary for me to change so that I could continue living. I had to become 'a different coin.' Do you understand?"

Renji nodded, hardly believing what he was hearing. Kuchiki Byakuya wasn't one to admit to having feelings, let alone make such a declaration of affection. His heart was pounding in his chest and he sensed that if he was to convince his taichou that he was recovered enough to return that affection, he needed to move before the moment was lost.

Leaning forward again, he slipped his fingers into the noble's hair and pulled Byakuya into a firmer kiss. Slowly, he parted his lips and gently teased his way into the noble's mouth, capturing his tongue and stroking it warmly. Byakuya's eyes drifted closed and he leaned into the kiss, forgetting for a moment that Renji was injured, that he had resolved to wait…that anything existed outside of the warmth of their mouths.

Quietly moving his tray to the nightstand, Renji took hold of the noble's arm and pulled gently. Byakuya hesitated for a moment, then climbed onto the bed next Renji, their lips never losing contact.

After a few minutes of deep kissing, Renji looked up into Byakuya's smoldering eyes and lightly flushed face and tugged gently on the noble again, silently urging him to take things further. The dark eyes wavered with uncertainty.

"Renji, as much as I want to, you're not…"

"Please Taichou, I feel much better today. And it's like torture sleeping so close to you every night without being able to…"

He stopped mid-sentence, gazing at Byakuya's expression. It was the kind of expression he was giving Renji more and more often. It was one he wouldn't have worn anywhere else. It told Renji that he didn't need to attempt manipulation or force the issue. Kuchiki Byakuya really wanted to give in. He wouldn't, of course. He had such unshakeable control. But Renji realized in that moment that he knew how to shatter that control…but did he dare?

He pulled the noble into another penetrating kiss to give himself time to think. Byakuya yielded easily to it…and to each that followed. The rain was pounding on the roof and pattering against the window now, and it was a peaceful, restful sound. And because they had just eaten, they drifted toward sleep, even though it was the middle of the day. Renji's hands roamed slowly over Byakuya's body, pausing here and there to relax him with deeper touches and watching with warm eyes as the noble gradually surrendered to sleep.

When Byakuya woke again, he found himself completely undressed and wrapped warmly in Renji's arms. The rain was still falling and the room was growing darker as the late afternoon gave way to evening. He realized suddenly that Renji was awake and watching him.

"Did you sleep at all…" he asked the redhead quietly, "or did you merely spend the last several hours watching me sleep?"

"I did both," Renji replied, giving him a light kiss on the lips, "after undressing you, that is."

"Renji," Byakuya said, looking up into the calm brown eyes, "I won't do anything that will hurt you."

"You won't hurt me. If I could undress you while you were sleeping and if we are already tangled up together, I am well enough to make love to you…Byakuya."

The dark eyes wavered with uncertainty again and Renji chose that moment to tighten his body around Byakuya's and begin a gentle assault of lips, teeth and tongue on the noble's face and throat. He was trying to say something but the words disappeared as Renji's mouth took hold of his and kissed away his objections. The redhead was tugging on him again, shifting to move more deeply beneath him. Renji's body ached fiercely, but he wasn't going to let anything stop what was happening. He bit back the pain and pressed his body tightly to Byakuya's, kissing him until they were both flushed and breathless.

He pulled his lips away from Byakuya's and was about to speak, but the words stopped in his throat at what he felt next. The body pressed so close to his…was trembling softly. And when he looked into the noble's eyes, he saw the release of control, a surrender that was nearly audible. But even then, the stubborn noble still retained some power of reasoning and he used it in a way that set Renji's heart racing wildly and made him forget the pain that coursed through him when he moved.

Byakuya's eyes locked on his. His hand took hold of Renji's and brought three fingers to his lips. He slipped them into his mouth, slowly capturing each with his tongue until they were coated with saliva. Renji froze.

"I thought you said…" he started to say.

"I said I would decide when," Byakuya whispered, rolling onto his back and guiding Renji's hand down the length of his body, "and I've decided that now is the time."

The noble's hand released his and took hold of the redhead's shoulder. His hands tightened slightly Renji began to prepare him. By the time he was done, Byakuya was panting into Renji's shoulder, his body shaking softly and his fingers digging in painfully.

"Relax," Renji whispered.

The noble didn't answer, but the fingers loosened slightly. Renji removed his fingers and entered Byakuya slowly, watching the flushed face and glazed eyes for any sign of pain. When he saw it, he stopped, leaning down to kiss the pale skin of his throat as he adjusted to the feeling. Soon, he was fully encased in the noble's body and waiting for a sign that Byakuya was ready for him to move. The noble's body relaxed beneath him.

"I'm fine," Byakuya whispered finally, "Move."

Renji began slowly, his brown eyes holding the darker ones of his taichou as the pain gave way to pleasure and Byakuya began to move with him. As he moved faster and penetrated deeper, the noble's hips bucked upward into his and the noble moaned and panted more heavily as he neared release. Thrusting in deeper, Renji struck a place within Byakuya that made him gasp and brought his body up sharply against Renji's. He quickly struck the same place twice more before the noble's body shuddered beneath his and he released with a soft, beautiful cry that Renji had never heard come out of him before, but that left him wanting to hear it again. The tightness around him and the incredible sounds Byakuya was still making brought Renji to the most intense climax he could ever remember having. His body quivered uncontrollably, and Renji realized suddenly that he was shaking too…shaking and moaning, and completely unaware that his body had ever been in any pain to begin with.

He relaxed on top of Byakuya, kissing him more lingeringly as they caught their breath and slowly returned to awareness. Renji moved so that he laid next to Byakuya, deep within the noble's arms, head rested on his shoulder. As sleep took hold of him, a voice broke through the darkness that had fallen. The words were barely audible above the sound of the rain, but they reached Renji and sent warmth pulsing all through him.

"Abarai Renji…_aishiteru yo_."


	8. A Different Coin

**Chapter 8: A Different Coin**

_Kuchiki Byakuya…_

Byakuya shifted uncomfortably in his sleep.

_He knelt before the Elders, his head bowed, the grief barely held in check. The head Elder looked down at his bowed head and smiled to himself. With the peasant woman's death, controlling the young man would be far easier, despite his power. Kuchiki Byakuya was suffering from a badly broken heart and the Elders were more than ready to use that to finally bring the young man and his considerable power under the council's control. It was necessary that they do that. The young man's penchant for rebellion and his deviant thinking were dangerous to the clan. They needed Kuchiki Byakuya's power to retain dominance over the other clans, but somehow his recklessness had to be managed. Kuchiki Hisana's death provided them a way to do that. The young man was overly emotional and clearly in need of guidance in regaining control of his overly powerful heart._

"_Kuchiki Byakuya," the head Elder said solemnly, "We have called you before Council for two important reasons. First, we wish to offer condolences on the death of Kuchiki Hisana."_

"_Arigato," Byakuya responded in a barely audible whisper._

"_We also wish to tell you that Council has voted to install you as the next clan leader."_

_Byakuya simply nodded without lifting his head. This was expected. They had only waited because they had wanted to punish him for his defiance. Punishment was unnecessary now, so the obstacle to his leadership was removed. He didn't know what to feel…and in any case, he was still too numb with grief to respond. His heart should have been enraged by the calculated timing of his ascent to occur on the heels of Hisana's death. But the Elders knew what he was enduring and they were using it to their advantage. Even though his mind registered this, his heart was too broken to deal with it. They wanted him to suffer. They wanted him to be sorry he had transgressed. Even while Hisana lay dying, he had promised himself and her that he wouldn't let them do this to him…but with Hisana gone and feeling so alone, he hadn't the will to oppose them._

"_Kuchiki Byakuya, you will be taken to the Central Chamber. There you will undergo the purification ritual and you will receive guidance that will ready you to assume leadership. After that, you will take the vows of leadership and accept the kenseiken."_

_And that was it. There was no question of whether or not he would accept. The Council chose the leader…end of story. One did not question their appointment…not even the appointee. Kuchiki Byakuya nodded in acquiescence. A hand touched his shoulder and he allowed himself to be raised and led away._

Byakuya moaned softly in his sleep and tightened his arms around Renji.

_The purification occurred in two stages. The first was a cleansing of the mind. He was led to a small cell and locked inside for seven days, during which he was directed to listen to his inner consciousness. It didn't take him long to realize that the voices he heard while locked in that room were not his._

_"You have suffered the pain that resulted from your defiance. You know now that peace lies in obedience. You must abide by the rules of the clan. You are to be an example to all soul reapers."_

_"You suffer too much because you allow emotion to consume you. Harden your heart, lest it be used to weaken your resolve."_

_"You are noble. You must conduct yourself at all times as a noble. Whatever path you take, do not forget who you are."_

_He tried to tune the voices out, but they battered him day and night until he inadvertently memorized their order. He strained to find a mental corner where the voices couldn't reach him, but they cut through everything, leaving him restless and unable to sleep. After six days, the voices went silent. At first, he didn't know how to respond, but his body quickly took over and he succumbed to a deep sleep._

_They woke him the next morning and led him to another chamber that consisted of a large pool of rainwater that had been gathered under a full moon. Two attendants undressed him and led him into the water. They cleansed him thoroughly until his skin felt raw, then they led him out of the water and dressed him in a formal kimono for the ceremony. His hair was dried, brushed and left unbound._

_He was then taken back to the Council chamber where the entire clan and their guests were waiting. As they watched, he was brought to his knees with the attendants at his side, and then he took his vows._

_"Kuchiki Byakuya, do you vow to use your power to protect, defend, and improve our clan?"_

_"I do."_

_"Do you vow to abide by the rules and codes of the clan?"_

_"I do."_

_"Do you vow to add to the clan's increasing power through the bringing forth of heirs?"_

_"I do."_

_"And do you vow to be an example to all soul reapers of the beauty and strength of nobility at all times?"_

_"I do."_

_"Then as you have been called by this council and have taken the vows of leadership, you are awarded the kenseiken."_

_He was surprised that as light as the kenseiken was, it lowered a heavy weight onto his heart as it was placed upon him. He felt cold and empty inside._

"Byakuya?"

The noble's eyes blinked open and Byakuya could see Renji looking back at him in the darkness.

"You were shifting around like you were uncomfortable. Were you having a bad dream?" Renji asked softly.

"I don't remember," Byakuya whispered back.

But he did.

Renji kissed him and snuggled closer, closing his eyes again. Byakuya closed his eyes as well, but the voices refused to leave him. He waited until he was certain that Renji was asleep, then slipped out of bed and stood gazing out the window at the dark sky and falling rain.

_Even though it is covered with clouds and rain, he thought, there is a full moon tonight. It waits just on the other side of this darkness to break through after the storm has run its course. But will I be here when morning comes? I sense them. They know we are here and they wait. They know that no matter how cautious we might be, we will let our guard down for but a moment…and they will use that moment to regain what is theirs. For that is the truth of it. Born among nobles, surrounded by beauty, wealth and privilege…blessed with great power and a name that is respected and feared. Yet beneath it all, there is treachery. Beneath the kenseiken is a history of enslavement and control. No one outside the clan knows._

_My fate was sealed when I came here. I knew it when I took those steps. As strong as they are, even Shihoin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke cannot stop them. I will be taken eventually. And to protect the power within me, they will break my will and bring me back under their control. They will not kill me, but death would be preferable to being theirs. We walked this path once before and I was not strong enough. When Hisana died, they easily overcame my will and left me bereft of my heart. They know that Abarai Renji is dangerous because he is bringing back the heart they took from me. When I am with Renji, I do the unthinkable…I feel._

He was shivering. The coldness was all around him and it had gone inside.

"Byakuya?"

Kuchiki Byakuya continued to stare out the window.

"What is it, Renji?" he asked softly.

"Why are you staring out the window like that? What's wrong?"

"Why would you think something is wrong? I often get lost in my thoughts. You should be used to that by now. Don't worry, I'm fine," Byakuya assured him.

"I'm not so sure," Renji said, sitting up, "Byakuya, something has been wrong all night. You are worried about something. You told me that you love me. If that's true, then why won't you talk to me about whatever is bothering you?"

The captain was silent. He continued to stare out into the storm. He remained that way until he sensed that Renji was climbing out of bed. He turned quickly and flash stepped to his fukutaichou's side. He gently pushed Renji back down onto the bed. As he fell, Renji took hold of the surprised taichou and brought him down onto the bed with him.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya asked, his words betraying a hint of breathlessness.

"I'm taking you back to bed with me," Renji said, smiling, "and I'm not letting you up until you tell me what's bothering you."

"Abarai…"

"Hey…I just want to help. Really. Byakuya, I think this has to do with your family. I know there is more to the situation than you are saying. Maybe there are family secrets that you feel you can't tell me…but whatever it is, I just want to help. Something is happening between you and them that I don't understand. It's more than just that they want to control your choices when it comes to love…"

"It isn't about love at all, Renji," Byakuya said bitterly, "This is about power…and how it is preserved and increased. I can't say more than that. I've already told you too much. Just, let's not think on that right now. I have some things to do…then I'll make breakfast."

He started to rise, but was stopped by warm hands that took hold of him and pushed him back down onto the bed. Byakuya frowned, his reiatsu flaring in warning.

"I told you," Renji said, leaning over him and kissing him, "I'm not letting you up until you talk to me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Renji. If I wanted to, I could just…"

"You won't, though. You won't because you might make my injuries worse. Besides, it's pretty clear you need to talk about this. You're shivering…and it isn't that cold, even considering the rain, Byakuya."

Byakuya stared at Renji in silence. Abarai Renji had somehow slipped beneath his defenses in a way he had never expected, much in the way he had captured Byakuya's heart so unexpectedly. Now the noble was at a loss. He wanted to explain, but no one ever spoke of clan dealings outside of the clan. It was a highly punishable offense to betray the confidences of the clan's inner workings. But he had to say something.

"I sense that they are nearby," he said finally, "They are wary of Yoruichi and Kisuke, but they watch around the clock to see when we are most vulnerable. When the time comes, they will appear as if from nowhere and I may simply disappear. I do not know what fate they have in mind for you…"

"What will they do if they take you, Byakuya? Because that's what this is really about, isn't it? They don't care so much about doing something to me, but they care about getting you back. It doesn't take a genius to see that."

Byakuya looked into the brown eyes and searched for the right words.

"When Hisana died, my heart was in chaos. The Elders knew this and they called me to Council while I was still numb with shock over losing my wife. They insisted that it was my defiance that led to the pain that I was feeling and that by rededicating myself to obedience, I could avoid pain of that kind in the future. I was grieving and I was desperate for relief from the pain. So I accepted their help. I committed myself to following the rules and practices of the clan. Then, they called me to assume leadership of the clan."

"Byakuya, there's something I don't understand. It doesn't really seem like you want to lead them. In fact, you seem unhappy with it. Can't you just…quit?"

Byakuya sighed.

"Renji, clan leadership is not something you choose. It is a responsibility placed upon you. One does not question the calling to serve as clan leader. One cannot simply refuse the job. They choose who they feel is most capable and that person is compelled to serve. Once chosen, you serve until the clan Elders feel there is another who is stronger or more capable. They choose a clan leader who they feel will be most effective in maintaining the clan's position in our society."

Renji looked puzzled.

"But…Byakuya, why have a leader at all if the Council is really in control?" he asked.

"The clan leader does have power…but long ago it was decided that it would be dangerous to allow any one clan member to assume too much influence over the clan. The Council was meant to balance the clan leader's power…not to control the leader. Over the centuries, the Council grew very powerful and things changed in their favor. Now it is not the clan leader who is too powerful, it is the Council. My grandfather struggled to try to restore the balance of power as it was intended, and he made progress, but the Elders really set the battle lines when they looked to me for leadership. They delayed my ascent to leadership until they felt there was a chance to gain influence over my choices as leader. When Hisana died, the threat was minimal and I was weak with grief. They took full advantage of that."

"Byakuya…you don't have to tell me if it's too private, but what did they do to you?"

Byakuya turned to look out at the rain.

"I am not going to go into the specifics, but I will say that they know what they are doing. And if they are able to take me back to the Council Hall with them, it is difficult to say how I will fare when subjected to their methods of regaining control."

Byakuya turned back to Renji, studying his face in the early morning darkness.

"Let's not think about that anymore. There are better things to think about. Renji…I would like to give you something."

Byakuya cupped his hands and focused his spirit energy. As Renji watched, a medium sized golden coin appeared in his taichou's open hands. He lifted it and turned on the light next to the bed so Renji could see it. Renji smiled. On one side was Byakuya's image and on the other was the Kuchiki family crest.

"These coins are made each time a leader is chosen. They are solid gold and they are kept within the family."

He replaced the coin in his open palms and focused again. Light flared around his hands. When it faded, the coin had been cut down the middle and had two interlocking shapes. Each half was connected to a separate gold chain, but the pieces were interlocked. Byakuya separated the pieces. One of the pieces had the shape of a curved fang on it and the other had a tiny sakura tree. Byakuya leaned forward and fastened the half with the fang around Renji's neck. Renji took the other half from Byakuya's hand and placed it around his neck.

"Byakuya," Renji said softly, "arigato. This is beautiful."

Byakuya's lips curved into a small smile.

"I am glad you like it, Renji."

He started to get out of bed, but was stopped by a hand that was very gently laid upon his arm.

"Don't go yet," Renji said quietly.

Byakuya turned back, his eyes questioning.

"I need to make tea and breakfast. In case you forgot, I was too preoccupied to make dinner last night. You have to be starving."

"It can wait," Renji said, pulling him in for a kiss.

"Hmm…" mumbled Byakuya as the intensity of the kissing increased, "Perhaps it can wait."

A few minutes later, neither had the presence of mind left to think about food.

Outside the window, the rain slowed and began to lighten into mist.


	9. Death Sphere

**Chapter 9: Death Sphere**

Abarai Renji came to the sudden realization that he had made a tactical error. In working so hard to convince his taichou that he was suitably healed for lovemaking, he had forgotten one small fact. Kuchiki Byakuya's willingness to perform menial labor rested on his fukutaichou's inability to care for himself. Now that it was clear that Renji was mending well, it was time, his taichou decided, for their roles to change.

The first change was that Renji was assisted out of bed every hour to walk around the house. It was painful at first, but Renji didn't mind so much walking the hallway with his taichou at his side. And when they started taking walks outside the house, it became a very pleasant thing indeed.

What wasn't pleasant was the redistribution of chores around the house. While still consenting to do some tasks, Byakuya was, after all, his taichou and a noble. Luckily for Renji, they were often visited by Rukia, Ichigo, or other friends who were more than happy to help out. Whenever Renji's friends came to visit, Byakuya would vanish, only to return shortly after they left. This was especially true when Ichigo came to visit. Despite Ichigo's pledge to assist them in their dealings with the Elders, relations between the noble and the substitute shinigami remained cool and distant.

It bothered Renji that Byakuya seemed so distant with everyone while Renji enjoyed the company of so many friends. He had hoped that their time in Karakura Town would give Byakuya and Renji's friends an opportunity to connect. When asked where he went while Renji's friends visited, Byakuya only said that he used the time for training and for forming a strategy to help them deal with the Elders.

"That is why we came here, Renji," Byakuya reminded him as they ate dinner one night, "That…and also for your recovery. In a few more days, you will be well enough and we will return to the Seireitei. I am merely ensuring that you and your friends have time to spend together before we go."

"That is kind of you, Taichou," Renji said, "but can you tell me something? Do you ever feel lonely? Like you want to spend time with other people?"

Byakuya sighed.

"I enjoy spending time with you. I enjoy working alongside our squad members in the field…but I have never really sought to be surrounded by large groups of people. I tend to value calm and quiet surroundings."

Renji nodded.

"That does sound like you, Taichou. But as much as I like peace and quiet sometimes, I also like noise and motion, and the presence of a lot of people sometimes."

"As I said," Byakuya agreed, "We complement each other. We are different, but we have enough in common to be compatible. While we enjoy our time together, we should allow each other to continue other important associations as well. So if I leave while your friends are here, it is a sign of my respect for your right to nurture those friendships."

"I appreciate that, Taichou."

"Renji, we are in Karakura Town still. You may call me Byakuya," the noble said softly.

"Hai, Byakuya."

Byakuya left Renji in the kitchen making tea and walked back to the bedroom. He slipped into his nightclothes and stood for a moment looking out the bedroom window. The moon and stars were shining brightly in the clear, cold sky overhead. The breeze whispered in the trees, sending a peaceful, sleepy feeling through him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying the calm contented feeling it gave him to be in this place with Abarai Renji. Unfortunately, it would only be for a few more days. Then they must return and face the Elders, who would have had plenty of time to prepare. The thought sent a chill through him. He was pleasantly surprised and comforted when a pair of warm arms wrapped around him from behind and Renji's voice sounded in his ear.

"I've brought tea, Byakuya."

He turned in Renji's arms and took the redhead's face in his hands, looking into the deep brown eyes for a moment before meeting his lips with a warm kiss. He paused for a moment, sinking into the brown eyes again and wondering what the future held for the two of them. Kuchiki Byakuya was not one to think too far into the future. He did plan for it, but he lived in the present. Spending too much time focused on the future…or on the past was sure to distract him at a critical moment, and with everything hanging on what happened with the Kuchiki Elders, Byakuya knew that he couldn't afford to become distracted. It would only take one small mistake and the Elders would take them apart.

Even so, he found that holding Abarai Renji close like this made him yearn for the future. It made him look forward to things. He looked forward to the next time they would make love, to their triumph over the Kuchiki Elders…and to…what beyond that? He wanted to think beyond the next few weeks or months, or even years. Being with Renji made him look forward to the beauty of spending the rest of his life being this close to his lover. He suddenly found himself wanting to express this to Renji, but even looking into those eyes, the words to express it escaped him. Luckily for Kuchiki Byakuya, Renji was an expert at reading the moods of his changeable taichou.

"What is it?" he asked Byakuya.

"What do you mean?" Byakuya whispered back.

"It's in your eyes. You want to say something, but you're holding back. Is it that you can't find the words, or is it that you are worried about what I might think if you say whatever it is?"

Byakuya released a deep sigh and leaned into Renji's embrace for a moment. Then he pulled away and motioned for Renji to sit down on the bed next to him. He took Renji's hands and looked into his eyes again.

"Renji," he said quietly, "There is a difficult lesson that I learned when I lost my wife. I learned that when you find something that makes your life better and you want to embrace it, that you shouldn't waste time questioning it. Sometimes you need to just do something about it."

"I thought we had already done something about it, Byakuya. That's why we're here planning for what we'll do to defeat the Elders, right?"

"Yes," agreed Byakuya, "but we have yet to discuss what will happen beyond that, Renji. What will we do when we are free to be together openly?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," Renji admitted, "I've been very focused on just getting past the Elders. I wasn't thinking so much about what was on the other side of that. I guess we should think about it, though. I mean, from the start it seems that there has always been something in our way. When that is gone, we should have a plan for the future."

Byakuya nodded.

"Renji, when I'm with you, I think about many possible futures. I need to know what you want for the future so that we can plan for that. When you think of us, what do you see happening a few weeks, a few months, a few years from now?" Byakuya asked.

Renji sat silently, his hands warmly held in Byakuya's. He thought carefully, looking into the steel gray eyes that looked back at him. Finally, he found the words.

"I want to be with you, Byakuya, whatever form that takes. If you want to keep things like they are, quiet and hidden, I won't exactly like it, but it is better than losing you. If you want us to see each other openly, I would love that. But…are you saying that you are thinking longer term than that?"

"Perhaps," Byakuya admitted, "But what has been on my mind the most is that I have enjoyed living with you. So what I want you to consider…is whether or not you would like to come to live in the Kuchiki manor with me when we have defeated the Elders."

"You…want me to live with you?" Renji repeated, not sure that he could believe his ears.

"You needn't answer right away, Renji. Perhaps you will need to think about it. Perhaps you might worry about losing some of your independence…but you needn't worry. If you should come to live with me, I would continue to respect your right to carry on with your friendships, to have time to yourself…things of that nature. The reason I want you to live with me is because I have loved spending nights in your arms…waking up next to you…sharing breakfast in the morning with you. I don't want to lose those things when we go home, Renji. You asked me if I ever felt lonely. The truth is that these are the times I feel that emotion. They are also the times you have filled with your presence while we lived here. I want that to continue. That is why I want you to live with me."

"Taichou…Byakuya…I don't know what to say."

"You needn't say anything. Just consider it."

Renji couldn't contain the smile that lit his face.

"I don't need to consider it, Byakuya. I've enjoyed our time here also. And after we teach your lousy Elders not to mess with us, I want to live with you. But I just have one condition."

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.

"A…condition?"

"Yes," Renji went on, "a condition. I will move in with you, Byakuya. But I want your promise that once I am there, I will be the one to make and serve our tea."

Now Byakuya was smiling.

"Why Abarai Renji, I thought that went without saying," he said softly.

"Then it's a deal. When we are finished with the Elders, I move in."

Renji couldn't remember ever seeing such happiness in Byakuya's expression, from the shine in his dark eyes, to the beautiful smile that graced his lips. He traced the noble's smile with his fingertips. Byakuya brushed his lips against Renji's warm fingers, then reached out to pull him in for a long, penetrating kiss This was followed by another…and another. Just as they began to fall onto the bed together, there was an odd hum of gathering power and the reiatsu began to rise around them.

Byakuya pulled away from Renji and approached the window. Although moments before, the sky had been perfectly clear, a deep mist blanketed the air outside. Byakuya inhaled sharply and backed toward Renji, taking his arm and motioning for him to be silent. They dressed quickly and retrieved their weapons, then moved into the hallway and toward the front of the house. Byakuya leaned close to Renji.

"Whatever you do, do not leave my side. They are here and they are coming for me. I don't know…"

He was interrupted by a frantic pounding on the door and Yoruichi's voice sounding above the growing hum of power that continued to build around them.

"Byakuya! Renji! Open the door, quickly!"

Byakuya stepped forward and let Yoruichi in. She stood for a moment catching her breath.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked softly, "What is happening?"

"They summoned the mist to confuse me, so that they could close in on you. I was lucky to have sensed it soon enough to reach you. We need to make a run for Urahara's now. But we have to break through the circle they have formed. It will take all of us to do this. The danger is that we have to separate briefly to break the circle around us. We must form a triangle within the circle and then attack it as one. Only then will we be able to shatter the circle and escape."

"Wouldn't it be safer to stay in the house…together?" Renji asked.

Yoruichi shook her head.

"When they have reached full power, they will close the circle and descend on the house. We cannot defend this place any longer. We have no choice."

"She is right, Renji," Byakuya said softly, "There is no choice."

"We have to do this now," Yoruichi said, staring at the front door, "Move quickly."

They slipped out the back door and into the darkness. Byakuya and Renji took up positions at the back of the house, forming the base of the triangle, while Yoruichi moved to the front of the house to form the top point. Byakuya and Renji drew their weapons and all three gathered their power. As they reached full power, Yoruichi shouted for them to release their attacks. As one, they sent their power blasting into the circle that surrounded them. The circle of power glowed and flickered madly around them. They attacked again, pouring their energy into the effort, making the ground shake under their feet, then all at once, the earth beneath them shuddered heavily. The circle shimmered…then exploded into a blinding shower of sparks.

Immediately as it fell, Renji launched himself in Byakuya's direction. The mist had been inundated with smoke from the explosion and he couldn't see a thing.

"Byakuya!" he cried, "Where are you?"

There was no answer.

He moved along the side of the house, still calling for the noble. A few moments later, Yoruichi flash stepped to his side.

"I can't find Byakuya!" Renji told her frantically.

Yoruichi nodded.

"The reiatsu around us is receding," she said, looking around, "Renji, I don't think they have him. His reiatsu is gaining distance, but theirs has not reached him yet. I think he means to lead them off to give us time to escape."

"But they don't care about us. They just want to grab him and get out," Renji shouted, "We have to find him!"

"Calm down!" Yoruichi said sharply, "You aren't going to help him by panicking. Now keep your weapon out and follow me!"

Renji turned with her and they flash stepped away together.

Byakuya flash stepped away at top speed, knowing that the Elders would follow him. He had planned for exactly this. While Renji had been visiting with his friends, Byakuya had slipped away to plan an escape route that would lead the Elders away from the others and give him as much advantage as possible. He led them down scores of dark, empty streets until he reached the wide open field of a large park. He flash stepped to the center of the field and came to a halt, drawing Senbonzakura.

One by one, the eight Elders appeared and they took up positions in a circle around him.

"Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

A thousand pink swords rose into the air around them. Before the Elders could respond, Byakuya detonated the swords in one great burst, throwing the eight to the ground and pelting them with petal blades. Aware that the attack would only stun them, he released another attack on the heels of the first. He sent petal blades out around them and spun them into a huge sphere that enclosed both him and the Elders. But the Elders were moving too. They connected their power and formed a powerful golden sphere inside the petal blades. The head Elder glowered at Byakuya.

"Give up this foolishness, Byakuya. You cannot hope to defeat all of us. We know how this sphere works…and if you complete the attack and collapse the sphere, ours will collapse on you as well. You don't really want to chance destroying all of us including yourself, do you? Surrender now…or the price you pay will be dear, I promise you!"

Byakuya slowly raised his eyes to meet those of the head Elder. The taichou's dark eyes blazed with power and defiance.

"As usual, you have underestimated me," Byakuya said in a low, dangerous voice, "You were able to inflict damage on me only because you took me by surprise. I came to this place prepared, so I might use my full power against you. And if you think for one moment that I won't risk dying, myself, to stop you, then think again. I will attack. But I will give you one chance…one chance to recall your attack. If you do, I will halt my attack and we will go our separate ways. But if you persist, I will loose my attack and you will be forced to use yours. We could all die here. You have thirty seconds to drop the sphere.

The seconds ticked by as Elders and leader stood ready to loose their attacks. Byakuya could see that they did not plan to back down and he knew in his heart that he couldn't either. He thought briefly of Renji, of how much had formed between them, how much he had been looking forward to living with him, and how he had spoken to Urahara Kisuke on several occasions to see what else might be possible for them.

_"I need to know if you know of any way that it might be possible for Renji and me to have children someday."_

_Kisuke's smile widened._

"_You two are that serious? Thinking that far ahead?" he asked._

"_I haven't said anything to Renji. We haven't been together for very long and I don't wish to rush things. My intent here is to learn what is possible for us. Urahara Kisuke, this is one of your areas of expertise. I know you have done extensive research in this area for your own reasons. So I ask you…is it possible for Renji and me to someday have children?"_

_Kisuke grinned._

"_I think I just might be able to help you, Byakuya. Come with me…"_

Byakuya gazed at the set faces of the Elders, the golden sphere poised to fall in on him and the sphere of petal blades that enclosed everything. As the last second ticked away, he focused his thoughts on Renji.

"Gokei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Then he watched calmly as light exploded all around them, screams sounded as the petals fell inward…the golden sphere collapsed towards him, and Kuchiki Byakuya fell into darkness with honor, pride, and defiance all intact.


	10. Return From Darkness

**Chapter 10: Return from Darkness**

Shihoin Yoruichi and Abarai Renji had just reached the edge of the park when the huge pink petal sphere exploded, releasing a heavy shock wave outward and sending the two diving for cover. A roaring blaze of heat washed over them, singeing their skin and forcing them to press their bodies more deeply into the cool grass. Smaller pulses of heat continued to flash by and light sparked around them as they rolled to their feet.

Yoruichi gasped in dismay at the destruction ahead of them and her eyes widened in distress as she felt Byakuya's reiatsu fading. She flash stepped forward with Renji on her heels. As they reached the center of the park, they slid to a stop and stared unbelievingly at the scene before them. Two of the Elders lay sprawled lifelessly on the scorched ground. Two others leaned over two more who had sustained what looked to be major injuries. At the very core of the destruction, the head Elder leaned over Byakuya's motionless form. He gently turned the unconscious clan leader over and lifted his unresponsive body into his arms.

"How reckless!" he hissed at the unconscious noble, "If you live, you will pay for your foolishness."

He turned to the others.

"Come…we must hurry if he is to be saved. Bring the injured. We'll send someone for the fallen."

"Wait!" Yoruichi called out, "His reiatsu is too far declined. He won't survive the trip back to Soul Society. You must allow us to take him to Inoue Orihime. She is his only hope."

"Do you think me a fool?" snarled the head Elder disdainfully, "You simply want to retrieve him for your own purposes. He goes with us."

"Think about what you are doing…the chance you are taking! Read his reiatsu level. You will see I am right. But don't take too long. Mere moments could decide his fate! Give him to us," Yoruichi demanded, "before he dies in your arms! If you really want him to survive, you must do this!"

The head Elder gazed down into Byakuya's bloodstained face uncertainly as Renji stepped forward. He hesitated a moment longer, then carefully placed Byakuya in his fukutaichou's arms.

"Do not fool yourself into thinking for one moment that this is over!" he warned them, "We will return for him. He will pay for his recklessness and for the lives he took tonight."

The Elders glared at her for a moment longer, then flash stepped away, carrying their injured. Yoruichi turned to Renji.

"There is no time left, Renji. We have to take him to Orihime's home now. Come!"

The two flash stepped away together. As they raced toward Orihime's home, Renji held Byakuya close and breathed words of encouragement into the noble's ear.

"Hang in there, Byakuya. It isn't very far and you already know what a good healer Orihime is! She can help you. You'll be fine. I know you will. Just work with me here. You just need to stay with me. I can't tell if you're still breathing or if your heart is still beating, but I feel you here with me. Stay with me, Byakuya."

XXXXXXXXXX

Orihime nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the pounding on her door and Renji's voice called out for her to let them in. She ran to the door quickly and opened it, gasping in dismay as her eyes took in the sight of the injured shinigami.

"Orihime," Yoruichi said quickly, "Byakuya has been gravely wounded. We need you to use your powers to heal him."

"Come this way," she said, turning toward the nearest bedroom.

Yoruichi followed her into the room and gently set Byakuya down on the bed. She sat down next to Renji at the taichou's side as Orihime summoned her power and golden light rose up over him.

"Can you save him?" Renji asked, trying to hide the tremor in his voice, "It doesn't look like he's even breathing."

"Don't worry, Renji," Yoruichi assured him, "Orihime's powers are very strong. Byakuya couldn't be in better hands right now."

"I know that," Renji said softly, "I just…I need to know he's going to be all right."

"He'll be fine, Renji," Yoruichi said, placing an arm around his shoulders, "She will be able to heal him."

Renji stared numbly at the pale bloodied body of his taichou and wondered how he could have taken such damage and even survived this long.

"I don't understand why he did this," he whispered, "We were all there together. Maybe if we had all stayed together…if he hadn't tried to take them on all by himself…maybe…"

Yoruichi took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Don't do that, Renji," she said gently, "Little Byakuya always had a penchant for being a bit reckless, but never so much as when he was in love. You know that's why he led them away from us. He was worried that they would strike at you again."

"I know. Kuchiki taichou is very protective of the ones he loves. Ever since Aizen…ever since then, he's always watched out for Rukia."

"And tonight he was watching out for you," Yoruichi finished, "He loves you, Renji."

"Yeah," Renji said softly, "I just figured out how much…and it scares the hell out of me."

"Why?" asked Yoruichi, smiling, "Wouldn't you do the same for him?"

"Yeah," the redhead admitted, his voice trembling slightly, "Of course I would. I just didn't figure one of us would really have to go this far, you know? It's easy to claim that you love someone enough to die for them…It's scary when you're forced to prove it."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Byakuya?"

_His words break through the darkness, but I cannot answer. I feel touches on my hands and face._

"Orihime said you're going to be okay. You just need rest now."

_It hurts to breathe._

"You scared the hell out of me, you know. What were you thinking, taking them on by yourself like that?"

_What happened?_

"You told me not to leave your side, Byakuya. But then, you left mine. Why did you do that?"

_I was standing in a park…waiting. The air was cold and it was dark. I was alone, but I felt them approaching._

"I wanted to be there with you. Why didn't you take me with you? I'm your fukutaichou. My most important duty is to watch your back. But it isn't about duty anymore, is it? Not now."

_I know that voice._

"It's a whole lot more complicated now."

_Red hair like flames, brown eyes, tanned skin marked with black lines. When he touches me, the warmth is everywhere._

"At first, things were simple. I hated you for taking Rukia away. I wanted to surpass you, to take something from you."

_I chose him for his strength, for his potential. But then I ignored him. I didn't trouble myself to help him grow stronger or more powerful._

"I didn't care about watching your back. I was just watching you, looking for weaknesses that I could use against you."

_He was left to fend for himself, but he was from the Rukongai. He was used to that. He grew stronger despite the neglect._

"When you took sides against Rukia, I never asked myself why. I didn't care why, because in my mind you were already my enemy."

_I looked down on him and I underestimated him. And when he tried to protect my sister, I nearly killed him. No wonder he hated me. I deserved his hatred._

"Maybe you wouldn't have bothered to explain it to me even if I had asked, but I never gave you the chance to explain. I set my heart against you and I wanted to bring you down."

_If I had respected the place he had at my side and taken the time to develop that power, that strength, then maybe…_

"It's ironic. I got what I wanted. You went down…even though I wasn't the one who took you down. I watched, but it didn't give me the feeling I expected. Because you didn't do what I expected. Despite everything, when it really mattered, you did the right thing. You did what Ichigo and I couldn't. And you did it without any concern for yourself. You were willing to die protecting her. And that's when I realized that I couldn't hate you anymore."

_It was only after I learned how badly I had been manipulated and used that I realized his significance, that I respected how much determination he had poured into growing stronger so he could defend her. He was my fukutaichou and I had a responsibility to see to his growth, but instead I cut him down with my neglect, then with my blade. And still, when the dust cleared, when I woke…he was there. He has been there ever since. Since then, I've never felt like I was alone. He's here now. It's strange, knowing I can depend on that._

"I stayed with you after that, because I felt that I'd failed you. I resolved not to fail you again. I stayed with you and I really wasn't expecting anything. I only thought of making things right and respecting my role as your fukutaichou. That's why I was so happy when you consented to letting me take care of you. It was unlike you to let anyone help you."

_I don't know what brought him to my side like that. I only know that when I really looked at him, I realized who was looking back at me._

"You have to promise me that you won't try to take the Elders on alone again. You have to let me help you. You and I are strong enough to defeat them, but we should face them together."

_I know who he is. I love who he is. When I left his side, it was only to protect him. I was too proud to respect the fact that I needed him there. If anyone is to blame for what happened, it is I. I didn't respect his place in my life. I should have taken him with me. We are strongest when we are together. And to give us the best chance of defeating the Elders, I need to let Renji stand with me. That way, we can better protect each other._

"Byakuya, if you and I are going to hold things together, we have to work together. We have to both be willing to give everything to protect each other. I know it's not the way you usually work, but we have to work together to survive. So don't even think of leaving me behind again."

_Stay with me._

"I'm not going to let you leave me behind again, so don't even try."

_Lie down with me._

"It's a cold night. I hope you don't mind if I join you."

_Renji…I feel…warm again._

"Rest for now, Byakuya. Things will be difficult, but we'll find a way. Just, rest for now. We'll need all of our strength when we face them."

_Renji, aishiteru yo._

"Byakuya, aishiteru yo."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Abarai Renji…why is everything…pink?"

Renji chuckled softly and lifted his head to meet the dark eyes looking back at him.

"We're at Inoue Orihime's home. We brought you here for healing."

"Ah…I thought it was a nightmare."

"No, this is just her spare room," Renji explained.

"I see. Then I shall ignore the fact that I am surrounded by pink and just be grateful to still be breathing."

"Look at the cute bunny slippers she left for you," Renji grinned.

"Abarai, if you get near me with those things, I will kill you."

"They match the bunnies on the robe."

"Do not even think about it!"

"Well, it's not like you have a lot of choice. Your shihakushou is pretty much shredded."

"I would rather die."

Renji laughed.

"I thought so…so I asked Rukia to go back to Urahara's place and bring back something for you to wear."

"You…sent Rukia? You do know about her affinity for…"

"Chappy the bunny? Yeah, but she won't forget who she's getting the clothes for…least I don't think she will."

Byakuya started to sit up, then fell back groaning.

"Yeah…you're going to hurt a bit for a few days. I would suggest you stay put…especially since you're not wearing any clothes and you have already refused to wear what Orihime left for you."

"Abarai," Byakuya said quietly, "I was wearing clothes when I arrived, was I not?"

"Yeah, but they were shredded and bloodstained, so I took them off."

"I see. And you did this…"

Renji shook with barely restrained laughter.

"Don't worry, I waited until she was done and we were alone."

"I appreciate that," Byakuya replied dryly.

Renji put his lips close to the noble's ear.

"You didn't ask what I did while you were sleeping, Taichou."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes.

"Is that why I'm so sore?"

"Hah!" Renji exclaimed, "You're sore because you tried to face down eight Kuchiki Elders with just your Ban Kai and your stupid pride, baka!"

The seething glare he received in reply sent Renji backpedaling quickly.

"You want me to make you some tea, Taichou?" he asked, changing the subject.

"No."

Renji blinked.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Byakuya said softly, "because that would mean that you would have to leave…and I am quite comfortable with the way things are."

"I have to get up anyway," he assured Byakuya.

"Why is that?"

"Uh…if I don't get up soon, Orihime will start making breakfast."

"And this is a problem?"

"Oh, that's right, you've never experienced Orihime's cooking. You want to give it a try? It's sure to be…interesting."

"Abarai, I've only just escaped death once. Do you really wish for me to risk it again so soon?"

Renji laughed softly.

"No…I'll take care of breakfast."

Renji started to pull away, but found himself pulled back down and surrounded by warm arms and the press of a warm body. Heated lips claimed his hungrily.

"Stay with me." Byakuya whispered between kisses.

"What about breakfast?"

"Breakfast can wait."


	11. Above the Law

**Chapter 11: Above the Law**

Byakuya moved gingerly as he dressed, pausing several times to breathe a bit and clear the stars that seemed to keep rising before his eyes. He knew he should still be resting, but restlessness was taking its toll and he needed to stretch his legs. Finally sorting out his shihakushou, he opened the bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. The house was silent, but he felt the reiatsu of one person…Inoue Orihime. He walked slowly down the hallway and into the small living room where Orihime sat, writing in her journal. He watched her for a moment before speaking.

"Inoue Orihime," he said softly.

The girl startled, but then realized who it was and smiled.

"Sorry…you surprised me. I thought you were still sleeping, Kuchiki taichou."

"I was," he replied, "but I woke and Renji was gone. Do you know where he went?"

Orihime nodded.

"He and Yoruichi went to find the others. They will be meeting back here in an hour. We all want to help you and Renji."

Kuchiki Byakuya felt an odd warm feeling pass through him. He crossed the room, still moving carefully, then sat in a chair facing her.

"Kuchiki taichou, you really shouldn't be out of bed yet," she said, not quite meeting his eyes.

He placed a hand on hers and she looked up at him with large questioning eyes.

"Orihime, I owe you my gratitude for your quick action last night. Had you not assisted me, I would have died."

She stared wide-eyed as he squeezed her hand gently. She looked scared to death of him. Byakuya might have enjoyed that response in someone else, but for some reason, he didn't want this girl to fear him.

"You're trembling," he said softly, "I imagine I've given you reason to fear me…but, Orihime, things have changed greatly since I opposed Ichigo in the Seireitei. I understand that you cannot simply forget that I tried to kill Ichigo, but I would prefer it if you did not fear me."

"Oh, don't mind me!" she exclaimed, her words tumbling over each other, "I'm afraid of everything. I'm afraid of my own shadow. Yup! I even scare myself! And I…"

"You do not lack courage. You overcame great fears to follow Ichigo into the Seireitei to save my sister. You have my gratitude for that as well."

She seemed to relax somewhat. Byakuya released her hand and sat watching her for a moment.

"Are you hungry?" she asked suddenly, "Of course you must be after sleeping for so many hours. I'll just go make you something."

"That's…" he began.

"It's no problem!" she assured him, disappearing into the kitchen.

Byakuya stared after her, wondering briefly what he had gotten himself into. He wished that he had just stayed in his room. It might be pink, but it didn't have the dangerous reputation that Orihime's meal preparation did. He considered returning to his room, but as he stood, the room began to spin oddly and everything began to go dark around him.

"Kuchiki taichou, are you all right?" Orihime said, setting down the plates she was carrying and taking his arm.

He leaned against her for a moment. Gradually, his head cleared and he blinked down at her. He pulled away slowly and sat down again.

"It was nothing," he assured her, "I merely got up too quickly."

Orihime nodded and handed him a cup of tea. He accepted it and brought it to his lips cautiously. He wondered briefly what she had added. It wasn't bad, but it tasted nothing like tea to him. He forced himself not to react. He took another sip, then set the tea down, contemplating the plate in front of him. The rice was the only recognizable thing on the plate, but it was buried in something that smelled lightly of fish and something else oddly sweet. A container of pepper sauce stood next to his plate. He used a lot, figuring that the heat would reduce the shock of the taste of whatever this was. He noticed her watching him and took a small bite.

He remembered his experience with his comrade's cooking when first sent to the living world on a mission. This was only slightly more palatable, only because he had bathed it in hot spice. Beneath the heat was a combination of flavors that he thought should really never be experienced together. Still, for some reason he could not fathom, he really didn't want to hurt her feelings. So he nodded his approval and continued eating, after adding more spice. He was rewarded with a very sweet smile.

Kuchiki Byakuya wondered briefly if these odd feelings he was having were a side effect of his injury, but they seemed to be coming from his heart, so he chose to trust his instincts. He didn't know what was making him build this particular bridge, but he felt somehow that it was the right thing to do. Inoue Orihime was uncertain why he was being so nice to her, but she accepted it with a smile, and offered him a second helping.

"A very kind offer," he said politely, "but I should return to my room for more rest."

As he stood, she appeared at his side and let him lean against her. They had just started towards the hall, when a knock sounded on the door. Orihime looked up at Byakuya.

"Yoruichi said that the Elders cannot get through the barrier she placed against them…but…" she said softly.

Byakuya reached out with his senses and recognized two traces of reiatsu.

"Shunsui and Juushiro?" he queried softly, "Open the door, Orihime."

The girl released his arm and went to open the door. The two captains greeted her, then stepped into the room. They looked at Byakuya with concern.

"What happened?" Ukitake asked, "You've been injured."

Byakuya nodded.

"It was the Kuchiki Elders. They sought to force my return with them to the Seireitei. I did not wish to return with them," he explained.

"That must have been what they were so up in arms about," Ukitake said to Shunsui.

"What are you talking about?" asked Byakuya.

"The Elders went to Soutaichou. As you know, he has taken over the duties of law normally performed by Central 46 until new councilors can be installed. The Elders claimed that you killed two of their council members and wounded two others. I assume you did this in self defense."

"Of course. The Elders do not appreciate my association with Abarai Renji. They sought to punish me and they beat Renji nearly to death. We came here to allow Renji time to heal."

Ukitake nodded.

"Soutaichou told us where you were and why. Byakuya, he sent us to bring you back to the Seireitei to stand trial for murder. The Kuchiki Elders have filed formal charges against you."

Byakuya sighed.

"But we can't make sense of it, Byakuya," added Shunsui, "Why would they do that when they are so determined that you remain their clan leader? Isn't the point that they don't want you to die? These charges carry a death sentence if you are convicted. Why would they want that?"

"Clan justice," Byakuya explained, "The noble clans are exempted from normal legal processes in most cases. They had to file charges so that they could use Soutaichou to force my return. As soon as I arrive, they will claim their right as a noble house to try me in the Noble Court among my peers. Once I am in their hands, they will either use the charges to try to force me to conform to their wishes…or they will drop the charges. It is simply a ploy to bring me to them."

Ukitake frowned.

"Unfortunately, they have played their cards well. Soutaichou is compelled by law to bring you back to stand trial. We have no choice but to take you with us. Our hands are tied."

Byakuya nodded.

"I understand…and I will offer no resistance."

He turned to Orihime.

"Inoue Orihime, you must explain to the others what has happened. They must move quickly to stop my transfer from the Repentance Cell to the Kuchiki Council Hall. Once I enter the Council Hall, I will be too well guarded. It would be extremely difficult to extricate me from their possession at that point. Instead of just facing the Elders, they would also face the guards and associates at the hall. In addition, my ability to assist in my own escape would be…uncertain."

"Why is that?" asked Ukitake worriedly, "What will they do to you?"

"I am compelled not to speak of their methods. It is clan code that it is not spoken of outside of the clan. Suffice it to say that it is extremely unpleasant, and it will render me incapable of opposing them."

"Soutaichou won't allow you to be mistreated. If he knows they plan to…"

"Soutaichou has no choice. Our laws clearly state that the noble houses have the right to enforce the laws among their own," Byakuya stated firmly, "There is no way around this. I must return with you and trust that the others will arrive in time to interfere with my transfer."

"Is there nothing we can do to help?" Ukitake asked.

Byakuya shook his head.

"Soutaichou will have to hear arguments about the transfer, of course. He is compelled to do so quickly. But if he plans to block my transfer, he must have undeniable precedent. He does not, so my transfer will go forward."

"We could simply turn our heads and you could disappear, Byakuya," Shunsui offered.

"No," Byakuya said softly, "I would not have you dishonor yourselves and earn charges of your own. I will come with you and I will let my fate rest in other hands, for now."

He extended his hands.

"That is not necessary," Ukitake assured him.

"It is procedure," Byakuya corrected him quietly.

Shaking his head, Ukitake sealed away the noble's spirit energy and Byakuya followed them to the door. As he reached it, he looked back at Orihime and noticed suddenly that she was crying silently. His eyes widened in surprise. He walked back to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Orihime," he said softly, "everything will be fine. Just be certain that they move quickly. And…be safe."

Orihime brushed the tears from her face and looked up at him with determination.

"Don't worry," she promised, her voice trembling, "Renji and the others won't let you down."

"No," said Byakuya, touching her cheek gently, "Renji and his friends are people of great determination and power when they work together. And do not forget that you are one of them. Do not doubt yourself, Orihime. When the time comes, you may be the only one with the power to help me. Do not forget that."

He turned and followed Shunsui and Ukitake out the door.

Orihime wrapped her arms around her midsection and stood still, trying to hold back the tears. His words repeated themselves over and over in her mind.

_When the time comes, you may be the only one with the power to help me. Do not forget that._

Orihime wasn't sure what he was trying to tell her, but it was clear that he wanted her to go to the Seireitei with the rescue force. She didn't know what power she had that he would need, but she resolved in her heart to make sure she was there to find out.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ichigo said he'd be right over," Renji told Yoruichi and Kisuke as they walked up the stairs to Orihime's door, "and Chad and Uryu are on their way. Rukia should be here already."

"That's good," Kisuke said solemnly, "You guys are going to need the firepower if you plan to fight the elders. They're a very nasty bunch."

"Yeah, I think we learned yesterday just how nasty they can be. They almost killed Byakuya."

"But they paid a pretty big price for that, Renji," Yoruichi assured him, "They lost two Elders and two more are too injured to be a threat now. But they will act quickly to replace those lost. They have to if they want to regain control of him. They may not have been expecting to lose any of the eight, so they may not be prepared for the replacements. That may weaken them overall."

"So we may gain an advantage?" Renji asked.

"Yes," Yoruichi said, nodding, "We have to hope it will be enough."

Renji opened the door and stepped into Orihime's house. He froze in the entryway, staring. Ahead of them, Rukia stood with her arms around Orihime, who was crying.

"What happened?" Renji asked, his heart beginning to race.

Rukia looked up at him with fury in her eyes.

"They made their move against Nii-sama. Orihime says that he has been charged with murder, and that two captains came and took him back to the Seireitei to stand trial. Yoruichi, you know what they will do."

Yoruichi nodded.

"They will claim the right to try him in the Noble Court. Renji…you and I must go to the Seireitei immediately! We witnessed the attack. We can testify that Byakuya acted in self defense and that the Elders should not be given access to Byakuya, because they sought to kill him!"

Renji and Yoruichi turned to go.

"Wait!" cried Orihime.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"I have to go with you! He told me to go with you!" she exclaimed.

Rukia looked intently at her.

"Nii-sama told you this?" she asked.

Orihime nodded.

"What exactly did he say?" Yoruichi asked.

"He said, _When the time comes, you may be the only one with the power to help me. Do not forget that._"

Yoruichi thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"All right…but we must leave now. Tell Ichigo and the others to meet us at the Repentance Center. We have to move quickly if we are to stop the Elders from obtaining the transfer to the Noble Court. If they take him to the Kuchiki Council Hall, we may lose our chance to get him back. Or what we get back may not be the Kuchiki Byakuya we know!"

Kisuke looked up at them.

"Good luck. I'll stay here and send the others along after you. Take care of yourselves."

He watched with shadowed eyes as they flash stepped away.

Kuchiki Byakuya stepped out of the Senkaimon followed closely by Shunsui and Ukitake. As they passed into Soul Society, they caught sight of a group of soul reapers awaiting them. Soutaichou stood ahead of them wearing a solemn frown. Beside him stood four of the Kuchiki Elders.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," soutaichou said sternly, "You are under arrest for the murder of two Kuchiki Elders and for the attempted murders of all eight Elders. They have announced their intent to seek transfer to clan custody and unfortunately, there were no grounds to deny that transfer. You are hereby given into their custody."

"Soutaichou, others follow who can testify that I acted in self defense. You must allow them to argue against the transfer," said Byakuya.

Soutaichou nodded.

"They have the right to take you with them…but as soon as your witnesses arrive, they may come to me to appeal the transfer."

Byakuya closed his eyes against the words. They couldn't stop it. No one could. And if the Elders took him into the Kuchiki Council Hall…

"I understand, Soutaichou," he said softly.

The eyes of the Kuchiki Elders gleamed in triumph.


	12. Defiance

**Chapter 12: Defiance**

Kuchiki Byakuya walked in silence, surrounded on all sides by four of the Kuchiki Elders. They led him down the streets of the Seireitei, attracting curious stares as they went. Byakuya kept a calm countenance, already having made peace with his fate. Assistance would arrive too late for him, he knew. But for some inexplicable reason, he was warmed by the knowledge that the attempt would be made nonetheless. He would not delude himself into holding out hope. Hope ended at the council hall doors. Once taken in, even Soutaichou's order for his return was meaningless. Still, there was a little bit of time before they reached that place. And Byakuya used that small gift of time to do something he had never indulged in…dreaming of a future that could have been.

Strangely, the visions that came into his mind were simple in nature…standing with Renji admiring the full moon, walking in the gardens, waking up in his lover's arms. But these, he thought, were the places in his life where Renji made the most profound difference. And he would miss that. But Byakuya had walked alone before. He could make himself do so again.

The Kuchiki Council Hall appeared ahead of them and Byakuya sank further into acceptance. He wished he could return to the pleasant distance of dreaming, but reality was too close, too much demanding of his attention. They began to ascend the stone steps and with each step, his heart grew heavier. He wouldn't show it on his face. He refused to let them know that he was crumbling already. He held his head high and kept his expression calm, just as he had been taught. But as they reached the top, a small sigh escaped him. The head Elder turned and looked at him. Byakuya met his eyes calmly.

"This will not be pleasant for any of us. But this is the price demanded for your defiance."

The Elder turned away.

"I hope he was worth it," he said quietly.

_No, Byakuya thought, Renji is worth dying for._

A chill passed through him as he stepped into the entryway and the council doors closed behind them with a click that echoed hollowly in his mind. They turned down a hallway and walked to a large stairway that took them up to the top level of the building. They moved silently down a hallway to a large iron door, which opened to let them pass, then clanged shut behind them.

The room was empty except for a small mat placed in the center of the floor. One of the Elders bent and removed Byakuya's shoes, while another bared him to the waist.

"Kneel," the head Elder instructed him.

Byakuya lowered himself onto the mat. The head Elder moved to stand in front of him, while the others remained behind him.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," said the head Elder, "we have endured all of the defiance and nonconformity to our rules that we can tolerate from you. You were raised in a noble home and despite the early death of your parents, you were instructed in the proper behavior of the noble class. Yet even knowing what was expected, you married a peasant. Knowing that, you became intimate with someone male and a peasant. And though warned repeatedly, you continued this intimacy. Then, when we sought to return you to face the punishment for your actions, you murdered two of us. We were almost ready to kill you, but there is one last measure we can attempt before we resort to that. We will get to that after you receive your punishment."

He reached into his robes and withdrew a thick leather whip. The other three Elders did the same.

"First, you will receive punishment for each known act of defiance…"

They gave him no warning, but he heard the hiss of air before the whip struck him and managed to remain silent and still. The blows landed one after the other, giving him no time to breathe in between. He managed a few shallow intakes of breath, but it was quickly forced out again as the sting of the whips continued and worsened as they struck the same tormented flesh over and over. Just as his body began to shake from the strain of holding back, the blows stopped. He took a cautious breath and waited.

"Now, we will attempt to guide you in making proper choices. We will ask for your word that you will refrain from any further transgressions. If you give your word, we will move on to the purification and rededication of your mind and body to the clan's service. First, will you agree to give up your scandalous dalliance with your peasant male fukutaichou?"

Byakuya remained silent.

"I asked you a question," the head Elder warned him, "You will answer or you will be punished."

The noble held his silence.

"Byakuya, this is your final warning. Commit yourself to ending this relationship."

"No," came the soft reply.

A whip hissed through the air and stung his back. He inhaled sharply, but held himself still.

"I will ask you again…"

"And you will get the same answer," Byakuya said calmly, "Ask a thousand times if you wish, my answer will not change. I love Abarai Renji and I will not be made to feel ashamed of that."

The head Elder offered the question again and again. Over and over, Byakuya refused, and over and over, the whips fell on his bruised and bleeding back. Gradually, he became too concerned with maintaining his silence to answer, so he gave no answer and simply let the whips fall on him again and again. His mind grew numb with pain and dizziness stole over him. He fell forward onto his hands and knees as the questions and blows continued.

Finally, the questions ceased and the whips halted. Byakuya felt the approach of the head Elder and pushed himself back to his knees, calmly looking up at him.

"I can see that this is useless. You are determined to continue this defiance. I want you to spend some time in solitude. Think about the choice you are making. You know that if you will not end your rebellious behavior, then we will be forced to simply seal your spirit away. I am certain that if you really give thought to what you are doing, then you will make the proper decision."

"It does not matter, how many times you ask me, how much punishment I must endure, or even what drastic measures you take against me. I am in love with Abarai Renji. Nothing you do can change that," Byakuya said in a calm, steady voice.

The head Elder's eyes blazed. He glared down at Byakuya, then drew his hand back and struck him soundly across the face. The noble's head moved as it absorbed the blow, but his expression remained calm and he held himself perfectly still.

"You have chosen your fate, Byakuya. We are finished with trying to reason with you. When we return, I will ask you one last time to turn away from your defiance…and if you do not, we will seal your spirit away. Instead of a life of privilege and power, you will have no life at all. Do not be a fool. Do not force us to do this."

The Elders turned and silently filed out of the room.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Byakuya let his breath out raggedly and sank to the floor on his stomach, his back stinging sharply. He rested his head on his arms, breathing slowly and deeply to manage the pain and the unrelenting dizziness. He tried to imagine Renji's hands healing each wound, drinking hot green tea and falling asleep in his lover's arms. Eventually, even the pain gave way to his need for rest and he fell into a restless sleep.

He drifted for a time, relieved to be separated from the stinging pain. Thoughts of Renji crossed his mind and should have comforted him, but instead all he felt was emptiness knowing that his association with Renji was at an end. He might continue to defy the Elders, but they had made their intentions clear and there was nothing he could do about it. He was lost. The room he was in was likely to be the only one he would see until he gave in or died. And they weren't planning to let him die.

He would continue to defy them and they would seal his spirit away, leaving his body in a state of induced unconsciousness. For that was the simple truth of it. If they could not make him comply with their wishes, they could simply hold him in an unconscious state except for times when his presence was required. And even then, he would be well guarded and returned to that same state afterward.

Because the preservation of power was all they cared about. They needed to be able to display his power when and where they wanted.

And sooner or later they would act to ensure the heirs he had promised them…even if they must do so while he lay unconscious. The thought sickened him.

_Noble…This is what they refer to as the noble class. If they only knew…_

He realized suddenly that his mind was clearing. He expected the sharp sting of pain to return, but it had faded. He was lying where he had fallen and someone was leaning over him. Healing light flared around the person, hiding his face…but Byakuya remembered this boy's touch.

"Hanatorou?" he whispered, "Hanatorou, how did you get here?"

"Shh," the boy hissed warningly, "I scaled the wall outside and was small enough to slip through the window. I know you can't follow me out, but Renji wanted me to give you a message."

Byakuya sat up slowly. Hope flared painfully in his heart, but he forced it down. If he allowed himself to feel it, he would lose control.

"What did he say?" Byakuya asked softly.

"He told me to tell you that Soutaichou has ordered your release."

"They won't release me," Byakuya told him, "They will endlessly appeal and drag things out for as long as possible."

Hanatorou nodded.

"They know that…so they're coming for you…with some extra help. Renji wanted you to know that."

Byakuya nodded wordlessly, the hopefulness welling up inside and threatening to overwhelm his tight controls. He swallowed hard and forced himself to remain calm.

"Hanatorou, you must go. I don't know when they'll be back. You must not get caught in here. They would likely kill you."

"I will go…but first, let me finish healing you. These wounds could become infected. Hold still now, Kuchiki taichou."

Byakuya relaxed and let the healing power comfort him. He knew there could be a long wait before his rescuers could come for him. But at least they knew where he was. That was something. He was just beginning to think about the future again when footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the door. Byakuya shooed Hanatorou out the window and closed it behind him, then returned to the mat in the middle of the room.

The door opened and six Elders walked in, two still walking gingerly from their injuries. He observed them silently as they stopped in front of him.

"Council has discussed your continued defiance and we have voted to offer you a final opportunity to amend your behavior. If you refuse, we have also voted to protect the power within you by sealing away your spirit, except as council deems your presence necessary to maintain appearances. We feel this is necessary under these extreme circumstances."

"What you mean to say," Byakuya said softly, "is that Soutaichou has ordered my release and you are acting to keep me here in violation of my rights."

"There has been no order for your release," the head Elder stated calmly, "and we simply have come to terms with the fact that you are completely intractable. You will not listen to reason and you do not respond to pain. So we will do what we must to halt your defiance. Now…I ask you for the final time…Byakuya, will you at long last, give up your scandalous relationship with Abarai Renji and commit yourself to obedience?"

"I know that Soutaichou has ordered my release and because I am a captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, he will send aid. You will not get away with this," Byakuya said in a low voice.

"How naïve," the head Elder said softly, "and how foolish. Then let them come for you, Byakuya. All they will find is an unconscious body they cannot wake."

Each of the Elders withdrew a small red dagger. Seeing these, Byakuya started to rise, but was forced back down by the weight of their spirit energy. With his own still sealed away, he could not fight them. He could not even move.

The Elders formed a circle around him and knelt. Each stabbed his dagger into the floor and focused power into it. Red light rose up around Byakuya and began pulsating. Held in place, he could only watch as a red mist rose out of the light and wrapped around him. It sank beneath his skin, sending a sharp chill through him and causing his senses to dull. He felt himself being pulled away from awareness. He was disappearing into the redness.

He focused his thoughts on Renji and let himself fall.

Renji, Rukia, Orihime and Yoruichi ascended the steps of the Kuchiki Council Hall, knowing full well what was going to happen. Although they carried the release order from Soutaichou, they did not expect the Elders to release Byakuya. This was simply a necessary step they had to take to establish precedent for the drastic steps that would come later. They were met at the top of the stairs, by a stern looking man who Renji recognized as being the head Elder. He stepped forward and blocked their path.

"Good morning," he greeted them somewhat sternly, "May I help you find something?"

Rukia stepped forward.

"I have a summons from Soutaichou, ordering the release of my brother from your custody."

She handed the Elder the summons, then waited as he studied it. When he was finished, he handed it back to her. He reached into his kimono and removed a sealed document.

"This is an appeal, asserting our right to hold Captain Kuchiki until clan matters concerning his attack on us are resolved."

Rukia accepted the document, frowning.

"Soutaichou has ordered that we be taken to see Captain Kuchiki to see how he fares in your custody," Rukia went on.

The Elder shook his head.

"Captain Kuchiki is in seclusion for his own protection. As you know, he killed two Elders. There are hostile feelings among some within the hall. I am concerned that if we allow you in, others may try to use the situation to attack him."

"You cannot keep me from seeing my brother," insisted Rukia, "Even if he is under arrest for his crimes, I should still be allowed to see him!"

"I am sorry, Miss Kuchiki," the Elder said, "No one is allowed to see Byakuya."

Yoruichi stepped forward.

"Do not think for a moment that we are fooled by your excuses. You have no right to continue to hold Captain Kuchiki here. There is compelling evidence, not only that he acted in self defense, but that he has been threatened and harassed by the Elders in a way that is not just deplorable…it is illegal."

"Ah…Shihoin Yoruichi, I thought that was you. This is a clan matter. You needn't involve yourself."

"Oh," said Yoruichi, "I fully intend to involve myself."


	13. Invasion

**Chapter 13: Invasion**

The head Elder glared down at Yoruichi, using every bit of his height to tower over her. His eyes darkened and his lips curled into an aristocratic sneer.

"As I said, this is a clan matter. You, of all people, should understand that clan matters are resolved within the clan. We do not require, nor do we welcome outside interference. If you choose to interfere, then you do so at your own risk."

Yoruichi's eyes flashed dangerously and the air crackled sharply around her.

"I have been close to Kuchiki Ginrei and Kuchiki Byakuya for many years. I am well acquainted with the Kuchiki clan and the nature of relations between the clan council and its leader. Whatever Kuchiki Byakuya has done, he remains your clan leader and as such, it is your duty to accord him the respect due all clan leaders! If you refuse to honor his rights, we have no choice but to defend them to the best of our ability. You have refused to honor a direct order from Soutaichou to release Byakuya. You have refused his own sister the right to be at his side during this very difficult time. You and the rest of the council have violated the very foundation upon which your council was formed."

The head Elder snorted derisively.

"What do you know of the council? Our council was formed to make certain that the honor of our clan is not tarnished by the transgressions of leaders who choose to violate the ideals upon which our clan's honor rests."

"Your clan's honor should not rest on refusing to grant your leader basic rights accorded to everyone!" Yoruichi hissed, her eyes flashing.

"Our clan leader must bear the responsibility of representing us to the rest of Soul Society, and as such, he must adhere to our rules of decency and proper behavior. While I admit that Byakuya is not the first to appreciate the qualities of some of the peasant class, he is our clan leader and must hold himself above such base actions. Yet he chose to dally not just with a peasant, but two…and one of them male, and his own subordinate! I think you can imagine why our council voted to confront him about his transgressions. He acted far outside the realm of proper behavior. He did so repeatedly, and despite corrective action taken by council, he continues to defend his atrocious behavior by daring to describe it as love! He will not listen to reason and he will not yield to punishment, so we must act as we see fit to halt his damaging behavior."

Renji stepped forward, his eyes blazing and his hand on a humming Zabimaru.

"By 'corrective action,' do you mean beating the hell out of him? Attacking me and beating me nearly to death? And what more have you done to him here?" he shouted, "You have no right to treat any person that way…and you certainly shouldn't treat your clan leader with such disrespect!"

The Elder turned on Renji with a hand raised. Abarai Renji raised Zabimaru. The Elder paused, then lowered his hand. He looked down at Renji disdainfully.

"I do not need to answer to you, cur," he said calmly, "You are nothing. I cannot imagine why he endured such pain to defend his love for you. You are beneath him. And yet, he was willing to bear terrible pain and pay a horrible price simply because he refused to turn away from his scandalous relationship with you. He defended his sin to the point where he gave up everything just to avoid saying that he would end it. Do you understand? It was already over and Byakuya knew it…and yet he refused to say the words that would have saved him from…"

He stopped and smiled grimly.

"All of this is pointless. The matter is ended. Byakuya is finished with you. Leave!"

"What were you saying?" Renji demanded, "What did you do to him?"

"I already told you. Byakuya is in seclusion and is not receiving visitors. Now, go before I have you forcibly removed!"

He turned and strode back into the building. Renji glared after him. Yoruichi shook her head.

"Well, we knew they weren't going to make it easy for us. There is no other way. We'll meet with Ichigo and the others and we'll plan our assault on this place."

"Yoruichi," Renji said, his voice tinged with fury, "What about what he said…about Byakuya paying a horrible price? What do you think they have done to him?"

"We know that they beat him badly. Hanatarou said that the wounds he suffered were awful. But he healed Byakuya before he was forced to leave. I think they have taken some action beyond that. We need to figure out what they have done. Hanatarou…I think we'll need you to slip in and see how he is."

Hanatarou nodded.

"I can slip in, in an hour or so, after the sun goes down."

"Good," Yoruichi said softly, "With what you described before about his injuries, I wonder what action they could have taken that was worse. Now, let's go back to the Kuchiki manor and start work on our plans. I sent a message for Ichigo and the others to meet us there."

They turned to leave. As they started down the stairs, Renji looked around, his brow furrowing.

"Hey," he said, causing the rest of the group to stop and stare at him, "Guys…where is Orihime?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Inoue Orihime wasn't sure what gave her the courage to move, but she didn't miss the moment when the head Elder's back was turned away from her as he squared off with Yoruichi and Renji. As soon as she saw the opening, her body seemed to move of its own accord and she slipped around behind him and into the Kuchiki Council Hall. She fully expected to be caught and thrown out immediately, but luck was with her and the entry turned out to be empty and silent. She ducked into the shadows, taking a quick breath and listening to her heart pound as she came to terms with what she had just done. She knew she had to move, but wasn't certain which way to go. She looked to the left and spotted a large meeting room and several smaller conference rooms. To the right, there was a long hallway and a set of stairs. Fearing the openness of the large stairway, she ducked into the darker hallway.

She was pleased to find that the hallway seemed rife with small alcoves and recessed entries perfect for concealing her from anyone who came along. Once or twice, she ducked into one of these as a servant went by, but she was mostly alone in the quiet hallway. She smelled food cooking and an idea began to form in her mind. She needed to be less noticeable. As things stood, she was aware that she stuck out like a sore thumb. She followed the smell of food to its source, pausing outside what appeared to be the kitchen door as she gathered her nerve and prepared to enter.

Just as she found the courage to move again, the door suddenly opened and a boy dashed out, plowing into her and taking them both to the floor in a tangled heap.

"Oh!" the boy gasped, jumping to his feet, "So sorry, I…wait…Who are you?"

Orihime blinked. The boy was staring at her raptly.

"Um," she said, catching her breath, "I'm the one who should say I'm sorry. I was looking for housekeeping. You see, it's my first day…I've never been here and I got a bit lost…and…"

The boy's face brightened into a friendly smile.

"Oh…I took you for a visitor! I didn't know you were on the staff. Here, I'm going that way anyway. I can just show you! Come on…um…um…"

"Oh…Orihime," she said, giving him a shy smile.

The boy's smile widened.

"Welcome Orihime, I am Makao. I work in the kitchen."

"It's nice to meet you, Makao," Orihime said, still smiling, "I don't know anyone yet, so it's nice to meet someone friendly like you!"

Makao's cheeks reddened slightly.

"Come this way, Orihime," he said, motioning for her to follow.

He led her down the hallway even further and they turned into one of the dark entries. Inside the room was a storage area with a variety of uniforms for different types of staff. He led her to a rack of clothing marked 'Housekeeping,' and helped her select a uniform in her size.

"You can…uh…put it on in that little dressing area over there," he told her.

Orihime blinked. Makao blushed.

"Maybe I'll just…ah…um…I'll just wait outside," he stammered.

"Thanks," Orihime said, smiling, "I'll be right out!"

She slipped into the dressing area and quickly changed, hiding her own clothes so she could retrieve them later. She looked around the room and located a broom and dustpan. She took these and returned to the hallway after stopping to look at herself in a mirror to make sure she would pass for a servant.

"You look great!" Makao said when he saw her, then he blushed, "I mean…uh…this way."

"Oh, that's okay!" she told him, turning away from him, "I remember where they told me to go now. They said to go directly to clean the conference rooms! I'd better hurry right over there and get to work. Thanks for your help, Makao!" she said, waving as she turned to go.

"Oh," he said softly, "okay. See you later, Orihime. Don't forget, dinner is served from four-thirty to seven. I have my break at five-thirty. Maybe…I'll see you there."

"Maybe," she smiled, "Bye, Makao…and thanks for all your help!"

She turned and dashed back down the hallway. When she reached the end, she ducked into the shadows and waited until no one was around. Quietly, she moved toward the stairs. She knew that the room Hanatarou had found Byakuya in was at the top of the staircase, four flights up. She turned and started up the staircase, but stopped in surprise as she realized she was not alone. Two guards stood at the base of the stairway, gazing at her. Smiling, she stepped onto the stairs.

"Where do you think you are going?" demanded one of them, a stocky young man with dull brown eyes and hair…and an unfriendly expression on his face.

He spotted the uniform, broom and dustpan and backpedaled slightly.

"Oh…housekeeping," he said in a bored tone, "Go on."

"Thank you," Orihime said merrily, starting up the stairs. She had made her way to the second story when she heard voices. At first, she did not attempt to hide her presence, but as they drew near, she recognized the voice of the head Elder.

"…If it was up to me, I'd revive a few of the outlawed methods. I think we've gone too easy on him. We haven't truly broken his defiance. By sealing his spirit away, we have only delayed the resolution of this."

"Really…you know the old methods are far too dangerous. I know we do need to control him for the good of the clan's reputation, but we can't risk killing him…at least not until another is born to the family with comparable power."

As the Elders grew near, Orihime looked around frantically and found an unlocked door. She opened it and stepped inside.

"Can I do something for you?" asked a solemn voice.

Orihime whirled and found herself facing a man who looked similar to the head Elder. He had the same pale skin, black hair and dark eyes, but he looked a little less stern and more curious. He studied her for a moment and then nodded.

"Ah…go about your duties," he said, turning back to the document he was reading.

Orihime breathed a quick sigh of relief that turned into a silent gasp of despair as the head Elder's voice sounded outside the door she had just come in and the door handle turned. She fled to the back of the room and busied herself sweeping the floor and bending to clean an imagined scuff from the polished floor. She tried to keep her face in the shadows as the head Elder entered with another Elder. The man at the desk turned to her.

"Leave us while we speak," he said softly.

She nodded and tried to walk as normally as possible past the others. They appeared not to notice her as she passed them and returned to the hallway. She leaned against the wall, breathing a sigh of relief. She could still hear the voices of the Elders gathered within the room she had just left. She sidled closer to the door and listened carefully.

"They will be coming for him," the head Elder said firmly, "We will need to be certain that they do not get into the building. Call in extra guards and place two guards in his room. Also…we should remain close by in case there is a chance they could reach him. If they do, we will be forced to kill them. Most of them will be no problem. We need to focus our efforts on neutralizing Shihoin Yoruichi and Abarai Renji. Of the ones I encountered today, they are the most powerful. Of course, they could bring others. Soutaichou still cannot order troops to assist them, because legally we are still negotiating…but that doesn't mean he'll stop any who decide to come after Byakuya."

"I don't know why you worry," said another voice, "Even if they find him and somehow manage to get him out of the building, they cannot wake him. We are the only ones who can."

"And under no circumstances will we do that."

A chill went through Orihime as she thought about what she had heard. If the Elders were the only ones who could wake Byakuya, then…if the rescuers killed any of them…they might never be able to wake the noble.

_When the time comes, you might be the only one who can help me. Do not forget that._

"Could it be?" she whispered.

She continued up the stairs with new urgency.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hanatarou slipped out of the shadows and ran to the back of the Kuchiki Council Hall with Abarai Renji and Kurosaki Ichigo at this back. Ichigo took hold of him and flew into the air, carrying him up to the window he had used to enter before. Hanatarou peeked through the glass to be certain that no one was with Byakuya. The noble lay facedown on the mat in the center of the room. There appeared to be no one else in the room. He carefully pried the window open and slipped through, leaving Ichigo hovering outside the window.

Hanatarou crossed the room and knelt next to Byakuya reaching out to gently shake him awake. The youth gasped sharply as a red mist rose out of the noble's body and moved ominously in his direction. His eyes widening, Hanatarou backed away. The mist hissed as if alive and hung in the air above Byakuya, spinning and swelling warningly.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Hanatarou.

"Hanatarou, what's going on?" asked Ichigo from outside the window.

The youth backed toward the window, carefully watching the mist that hovered threateningly around Byakuya's motionless body.

"He's unconscious," he told Ichigo, "but there is some kind of dangerous mist that is keeping me from getting close enough to even tell how he is."

Ichigo thought for a moment.

"All right, Hanatarou," he said finally, "Come on out. We'll just have to deal with that when we get all of us in. Renji is ready down here. He's going to take out the wall with his skeletal snake, then we can get him out."

"No," said Hanatarou earnestly, "You don't understand! We can't move him. We can't get near him as long as that mist is around him. Stay where you are. I will try to figure out a way to neutralize it."

"Damn! We don't have time for this! We need to get him out of here…and we need to find out what happened to Orihime. If they have her, then we need to find out where she is! I think we should…"

"Shh! Get out of here, Ichigo!" Hanatarou hissed, "Someone is coming!"


	14. Red Rain

**Chapter 14: Red Rain**

Orihime reached the top of the stairs and peered carefully down the hallway. She spotted the guarded iron door at the end of the hall and noticed several open doors between the posted guards and herself. She took a breath and walked boldly into the hallway, glancing in the open doors and selecting an empty office near the guards that she could pretend to clean. She felt the guards watching her as she entered the office and began to sweep the floor. She worked in the office for a time, before moving across the hall to another. She noticed the second time she appeared before them that they were still aware of her, but they seemed to have accepted her presence. This was confirmed when she heard them continue the conversation they had ceased with her arrival at the top of the stairs.

"I can't wait!" one said to the other, "I've got a date tonight…very hot."

"Wish I could say the same, but my wife might have a problem with that," the other complained.

"How much longer?" asked the first.

"Ten minutes. And they're doubling the guard after that. Some talk about someone trying to get in here. I don't know, though. I haven't heard a peep up here. Haven't seen anyone but that cutie from housekeeping. I wonder where they found her. If I wasn't married…"

"Like you'd let that stop you!"

"Shut up! That only happened once! I haven't even noticed another girl since…"

"Except for the hottie from housekeeping. You should go say hello to her."

"I said, shut up!"

Orihime sighed in frustration. Ten minutes was so little time! And after that, there would be guards inside too. That would make it pretty much impossible. Even these two were going to be difficult to get by.

"But Kuchiki taichou is depending on me. For some reason, he thought I could do this," she told herself firmly.

Had he known what she was about, Kuchiki Byakuya would have been dismayed at the broad interpretation of his words and surprised at the power in those words that managed to change the normally timid Inoue Orihime into the capable defender of justice who was working her way ever closer to his side. As it was, he was blissfully unaware…a gift to both his psyche and his pride, to be sure.

She considered her options carefully, then took another deep breath and stepped out into the hallway. As she left the room, she tripped and fell forward, landing in a heap in the middle of the hallway. She squealed sharply in pain and clutched her ankle.

"Ow!"

The reaction in the guards was instant. Both were at her side in a moment, falling all over each other to help her to her feet.

"Oh," she said, grimacing, "I think I need some ice!"

"I'll go get some from the kitchen," one of the guards offered.

He disappeared down the stairs, leaving her alone with the other. Painfully aware of the fact that she had only about four minutes left before the changing of the guard, Orihime thought quickly.

"Um…I dropped my bracelet in that room," she told the other guard, "Do you think you could get it for me?"

"No problem," he said, smiling widely.

He turned and stepped into the room and Orihime sent Tsubaki after him with little more than a thought. The fairy soared after the guard and a muffled cry sounded in the room. The door closed behind Tsubaki as he returned.

"Give me something difficult to do next time!" he scoffed, flitting about and pulling at her hair in annoyance.

Orihime squealed and swatted at him.

"Stop that!" she cried, "We have to save Kuchiki taichou before the guard changes!"

She turned toward the iron door and tried to open it. As expected, the door was locked. She ran back and dug through the unconscious guard's body until she found the key, then returned to the door and slipped the key into the lock. The lock released with a resounding click and Orihime opened the door. The room was dark inside, so she turned on the light, then stepped in, pulling the door closed behind her.

"Orihime!" said a surprised voice.

Orihime startled and gasped, then recovered slightly as Hanatorou appeared from behind a pillar.

"Everyone was worried about you!" Hanatorou exclaimed, "They thought you might have been captured."

"Oh…no, I wasn't captured," explained Orihime, "I just dressed as a servant and stayed out of sight. They didn't notice me at all!"

She stepped toward Kuchiki Byakuya. Hanatorou took her by the arm and pulled her back. Orihime stared as red mist rose out of the taichou's body and hovered in the air around him.

"Be careful!" Hanatorou warned her, "That mist is dangerous. Don't let it touch you. I was just trying to figure out how to get past it when you got here."

Orihime smiled.

"I think I know what to do. I can use my reject power."

She stepped forward and began to build up her spirit energy.

"I reject!" she cried.

There was a flare of light and an impact, but the red mist swelled dangerously and did not dissipate. Orihime stared at Hanatorou and the healer stared back in dismay. Footsteps sounded on the stairs outside the room. Orihime took a breath and thought carefully. She studied the mist for a moment, noticing how it seemed to rise out of six points on a circle around the unconscious taichou. Stepping forward again, she built up her spirit energy and this time, sent it through the six points on the circle. As she used her reject power again, one of the six points released with a sharp click. Voices sounded outside the door.

"Hurry!" Hanatorou said worriedly.

Orihime focused on the five remaining points and activated her reject power again. The second point released. The voices rose into shouts and a key clicked in the lock on the iron door. Orihime focused and rejected again and the third point released. Beneath the red mist, Kuchiki Byakuya stirred softly. She focused and rejected again as the lock on the door released. Another point was deactivated. The door began to open. Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes opened and blinked slowly. Orihime smiled down at him as she focused and rejected again, releasing the next point. Hanatorou stepped forward to meet the five guards who poured in through the door, weapons drawn.

"Wait!" he cried, holding his hands in plain view, someone released the seals and there is poisonous mist! Get back!"

The guards hesitated just long enough for Orihime to release the last point. As the red mist rose out of Byakuya's body and shimmered above him, the guards realized they had been tricked and moved forward. Hanatorou fell back. As the red mist faded away, Orihime and Hanatorou took hold of Byakuya and dragged him away from the door. Byakuya turned to Orihime, shaking his head to clear it. The guards closed in and more footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Inoue Orihime," he said softly, "I need you to release the seal on my spirit energy…quickly now!"

As the guards reached them, Orihime focused on Byakuya's wrists and rejected a last time. There was a flash of light that blinded everyone momentarily, giving Byakuya time to attack.

"Hado #31, Shakkahou!"

Red flame burst from his hands, sending the guards diving for cover. He released a volley of red fire around the room, pinning the guards down, then climbed to his feet. In front of them, the six Kuchiki Elders appeared one by one and faced Byakuya, raising their spirit energy until Hanatorou and Orihime fell to their knees, gasping. Byakuya stepped between them and the Elders, raising his own spirit energy. He spotted Senbonzakura off to one side of him, but dared not move away from the two he protected. He stared into the stern faces of the Kuchiki Elders.

"Byakuya," the head Elder said, stepping forward, "You cannot hope to escape us. The two who have come to your rescue are neutralized and we can combine our powers to defeat you. Don't force us to hurt you. Surrender."

"No," Byakuya said, "I have no intention of surrendering."

He knew a kido shield wouldn't be enough. He needed Senbonzakura. But…

The decision was made for him as the Elders released blasts of blue fire together. Byakuya started to raise a kido shield, but suddenly he realized the Orihime's shield had risen. He didn't wait to see if it would hold against the attack, but flash stepped to his weapon and took hold of it.

Orihime's shield took the hit, but shimmered fitfully, then shattered. Byakuya flash stepped back in front of them and released his weapon.

"Ban Kai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

To his dismay, six kido spells fired simultaneously, halting his release and sending glowing ropes that tried to wrap around him.

"I will ask you one last time to surrender," the head Elder said, "then we will be forced to attack you."

Byakuya twisted free of the crawling ropes and sent a heavy volley of red fire blasts around the room. When the dust cleared, the Elders stood unfazed. Byakuya's eyes widened and his breath released in a soft hiss.

"You see," the head Elder said sternly, "you cannot defeat us. And now you have put us in the position where we must attack you. We will kill you if we must, but Byakuya, we do not want that."

"No," Byakuya agreed softly, "You simply want to keep me unconscious because you cannot control me. And I would rather die than to allow that. Attack me then. I have nothing to lose."

"What about the two who helped you? Would you have them die for nothing?" the Elder asked quietly.

"I would have you let them leave," Byakuya said, holding his weapon ready, "There is nothing you would gain by harming them. Let them go."

The head Elder shook his head.

"They helped you to break free. They are co-conspirators. They will share in your fate. I will be generous now and allow you one more chance to surrender. What will you do, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Byakuya never got the opportunity to answer. Before he could, the wall behind him exploded into splinters and Renji's skeletal snake burst into the room.

"Grab on!" ordered Byakuya.

Byakuya, Hanatorou and Orihime caught hold of the snake's head and were pulled back out through the hole where the wall used to be. As it retreated, the snake sent a huge blast of red flame into the room, forcing the Elders to shield and giving the three time to break free of the room.

The snake carried them down from the building and deposited them gently at Renji's side. Before they could even exchange a word of greeting, the Elders flash stepped into the space in front of them. They suddenly found themselves forced to shield as attacks rained down on them from all around.

Ichigo sent a blaze of spirit energy blasting through them, forcing the six Elders back against the building. Yoruichi's lightning flashed all around them. The air around them grew frosted and cold as Rukia's attack surrounded one of the Elders, trapping him in a column of ice. He broke free a moment later, shattering the ice and stepping forward to attack again. Uryu's sea of arrows flew at the Elders, sending them diving for cover. Chad's blaze of power struck one Elder squarely, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious. The others closed around their fallen comrade as Renji's skeletal snake pounded them with red fire.

Byakuya raised Senbonzakura, preparing to release his zanpakutou, but as he gathered his spirit energy, a sick feeling of vertigo passed through him. He realized that his confinement within the red mist prison had drained him. He managed to activate his Ban Kai, but used it only to defend Hanatorou and Orihime as the battle raged around them.

Another Elder fell, pierced by several of Uryu's arrows…then another, sent tumbling by Ichigo's Ban Kai. Two of the remaining Elders drew the fire of the rescue force, while the head Elder turned, and with a glare, sent a huge blast of spirit energy directly at Byakuya.

He knew that because of his reduced power, even the petal shield of his Ban Kai would not be strong enough. He shoved Hanatorou and Orihime, sending them tumbling away, out of the line of fire as the attack descended on him. It had almost reached him when Renji's skeletal snake wrapped around him protectively.

But if the skeletal snake was protecting him, then…

A heavy blast shook the snake and the ground beneath Byakuya's feet. He heard a cry of pain and suddenly, the skeletal snake shattered. Byakuya gasped in dismay. His power bolstered by sudden desperation, he raised his Senkei around the head Elder and himself, shutting them off from the rest of the fighting. His eyes blazing with unrestrained fury, he called two of the pink swords to his hands and flash stepped forward. Bringing up his weapons, Byakuya threw himself onto the head Elder, the blinding speed of the attack taking the Elder by surprise. Byakuya buried Senbonzakura's blades deep in the Elder's body, then stared into his eyes and collapsed the Senkei, driving the rest of the swords through his body in one final fierce attack. The furious face before him twisted in pain and then the head Elder sank to his knees. As he fell, he gripped one of Senbonzakura's pink blades and sent a last fiery attack directly through the katana and into Byakuya's body. Senbonzakura shook violently and shattered in his hand. The attack tore through the noble, taking him off his feet and sending him forcefully to the ground. He caught a glimpse of red hair, drenched in blood, then everything seemed to go silent and surreal around him. He struggled madly to remain conscious, crawling to his hands and knees in a desperate attempt to reach his fukutaichou, but the darkness began to close in on him. He managed to cry out to Orihime…to bring her to Renji's side, then he leaned over the fallen fukutaichou, his head lowered and his chest heaving.

Renji wasn't breathing.

That shattering fact kept Byakuya from falling the rest of the way to the ground. His eyes met Orihime's guardedly as the fighting ceased and the others gathered around them. Hanatorou joined Orihime at Renji's side. The pained look on his face as he leaned over Renji told Byakuya all he needed to know. He turned to Orihime, his normally stoic eyes stricken.

"Inoue Orihime, I told you that the time would come in which you would be the only one who could help me. That time is now. Look at Hanatorou…he knows the truth of it. Abarai Renji is beyond his ability to heal. But you have a power that can heal him. Orihime, you have a power that can defy death."

He looked into her widened eyes, his expression softening in a way she had never witnessed before.

"I cannot lose Renji like this. Neither can I heal him. Orihime, please do not let Abarai Renji die."

Orihime nodded silently, her face pale, but her eyes focused and determined. She turned and leaned over Renji, the light of her power forming around him like a warm golden coverlet. Byakuya knelt silently beside her, his expression calm and intense, his eyes fastened on Renji's unmoving form. Across from them, Ichigo and Rukia dropped to their knees next to Renji. Ichigo's eyes settled first on his fallen friend, then rose to take in the bowed head of the noble. Byakuya did not look up and Ichigo startled slightly when he suddenly spoke.

"You were right, Ichigo," he admitted softly, "You were right from the beginning. I understood, both the power of the Elders and the path my fukutaichou would take to defend me. I am responsible for this."

Ichigo stared in silence for a long moment.

"Don't blame yourself," he said finally, drawing Byakuya's eyes to meet his, "Abarai Renji is stubborn…and even before he fought against you to protect Rukia, he admitted to me that he had stopped hating you. Even though he had to raise his sword to stop you, he didn't want to have to turn on you. He was forced to do that. After you saved Rukia, he forgave you for not defending her when she was sentenced to die. And even before you told him how you felt, he was already falling for you. What do you think made him stay with you in the healing center for all of that time?"

Byakuya blinked slowly as realization settled over him. And inside he felt almost foolish for not recognizing it before.

"Renji does what he wants," Ichigo went on, "You couldn't have stopped him from defending you, not even by turning your back on him."

Byakuya nodded in acceptance. His next words to Ichigo were delivered in a calm, composed tone.

"Arigato, Kurosaki Ichigo. I needed to hear that."

It was a difficult admission that he would have been loathe to make in front of Renji's friends before. But Kuchiki Byakuya was one who valued loyalty, both Renji's loyalty to him, and the others' loyalty to his red haired fukutaichou.

And that seemingly small gesture opened a pathway between the Gotei 13 taichou and the others that hadn't existed before. Even though he wouldn't allow himself to betray it to them, Kuchiki Byakuya had no choice but to be honest with himself. There was something there that hadn't been there before. He refused to define it, but he felt the warmth of it just the same.

Orihime leaned forward, intensifying her power. Beneath the golden light, Abarai Renji took a slow, deep breath and opened his eyes. They moved slowly from one person to the next until they found the calm dark eyes of Kuchiki Byakuya. And there they rested, smiling, tired and touched with golden light.

Orihime sat back slowly and the golden power around Renji faded. She turned to Byakuya, her eyes curious.

"So this is what you meant when you said you would need my help?" she asked, "I thought that…"

Byakuya's brow furrowed thoughtfully.

"It was one of a few possibilities. But Orihime, if you didn't know that, what was it that you thought I meant?"

Orihime's explanation of just how she had interpreted his words treated Kuchiki Byakuya to one of the most humbling moments of his life…and as he considered the myriad of ways her actions could have ended in disaster, he had to also count it as one of the most frightening. He was suddenly quite relieved to have been unconscious.

"Taichou," Renji said softly, bringing Byakuya's eyes back to his, "You're hurt."

Byakuya stared at him in calm amusement.

"_You're_ worried about _me_?" he asked softly, "Abarai Renji, I am not the one who just nearly died. Lie still, now. You need to rest."


	15. Yielding to Love

**Chapter 15: Yielding to Love**

Kuchiki Byakuya was somewhat less than pleased when he was awakened by a sudden weight that landed unexpectedly on his chest, startling him awake and reminding his aching body that it still had some healing to do. He brushed the hair away from his eyes and glared at the offender, a large black cat with huge golden eyes.

"Senpai," he said, frowning in annoyance, "I don't suppose that you will ever find a more subtle way to make your presence known. You could have asked my attendant to wake me."

"Why, Kuchiki Byakuya, what fun would that be?" the cat replied sedately.

"True, it might not qualify as 'fun,' but it would eliminate the risk of heart failure in the one receiving your…greeting."

Yoruichi moved to the edge of the bed and shifted to shinigami form. Byakuya ignored the fact that she was completely naked and looked disapprovingly into her eyes.

"Is it too much to ask that you wear clothes when you change forms?" he sighed.

"Oops!" she exclaimed, rather unconvincingly, and hastily dressed, "Sorry about that."

"No, you're not," Byakuya said under his breath.

He sat up slowly and slipped out of bed, moving a bit gingerly as he came to his feet. He retied the belt at his waist and took a moment to pull his hair up and fasten it with a red hair tie. Yoruichi stood patiently nearby, knowing better than to stoke his temper further by offering to help. She did, however, offer an honest opinion.

"You should have stayed at the healing center," she said as they stepped out the bedroom door and into the gardens.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said softly, "I am fine."

Her eyes narrowed and blinked slowly.

"Anyone can see you're not fine," she said reprovingly, "and anyone who has known you for any length of time, can see that there is something on your mind. What is in your head, Byakuya?"

"What makes you think there is something on my mind?" he asked calmly, pausing to study the intricate pattern on the petals of a newly bloomed flower.

"Hmm," Yoruichi said thoughtfully, "You overslept, you left your room without changing your clothes, you are walking barefoot…and your reiatsu is so tightly controlled, I don't know how you can breathe."

"You were gone for a hundred years," he reminded her quietly, "a person can change in that length of time…senpai."

"Don't try to shift the topic, Byakuya. You know why I left…and why I wasn't able to explain then. You told me you understood. You're holding a grudge, then?"

"No," he said, turning back to look her in the eyes, "if I was holding a grudge, I wouldn't be speaking to you and I would be armed. Some things, when they are disrupted, merely require time to return to some sense of normality."

He paused, studying her for a moment.

"Or abnormality," he finished.

"Understandable," she said, nodding in agreement, "but getting back to the subject at hand, what's bothering you? And don't waste my time trying to tell me it's nothing."

He turned and walked alongside the koi pond, watching the breeze touch the water, causing small ripples on the surface.

"I received word that the new council has been seated. And their first act was to call a council of action regarding my association with Abarai Renji," he said, still staring down into the water, "It may have been foolish of me to assume that things would change. This council may not choose to imprison me, but there are plenty of other unpleasant options they could choose."

She nodded.

"Are you thinking they mean to take your title?" she asked, "and if they did, would that be such a bad thing?"

"They certainly could opt to select a new clan leader," he said, looking up at her, "and I would not oppose that decision…but neither would I welcome it."

"Because it would dishonor your family?"

"That…and it would simply allow things to continue as they were. There needs to be a proper balance between the clan leader and the council. Ginrei told me this when the council granted the title to me. The groundwork for change had been laid…and it was left to me to see that the balance between those forces was restored. I failed to do that. Consider for a moment that half of the council that selected me is dead and the other half was forced to resign. Every sect of the Kuchiki family was affected by this. That could be reflected in their selections for council," Byakuya explained.

"So you think the relatives of the dead and dishonored might remove you from office out of spite?" she asked.

"It is a possibility," he admitted, "and even if they don't, they will certainly oppose my association with Renji. He is still a peasant…and because he is male, they will claim that it interferes with my vows of service."

"Because in your vows of service, you agreed to provide heirs. Byakuya…I know you spoke to Kisuke about that. I also know what he told you. You could simply relay that to the council to alleviate their concerns," she suggested.

"That would be somewhat presumptuous on my part. Yoruichi, Renji and I have only just found each other. And while I am certainly amenable to remaining with him and even pursuing settled life and children, I won't put him in a position where he feels he must do that to remain at my side. If we are to follow that path, it should be for the right reasons."

"But the council doesn't need to know that…and Renji doesn't need to know what the council believes."

He gazed at her disapprovingly.

"That would be deceptive. It would be withholding the truth from council, but also keeping that expectation from Renji. He would certainly discover what I agreed to at some point. I won't be dishonest with him. In any case, he will know what the council believes. He will know, because council has asked that he accompany me when we meet."

Yoruichi's eyes widened.

"They…want Renji to attend council? Why?"

"I'm not certain. Perhaps they will try to convince him to part ways with me. Certainly, if they lay out their expectations, he will be…put off. And Renji doesn't know that I went to Kisuke asking questions. If I admit to council that I pursued the information, Renji could feel that I overstepped boundaries by not even discussing it with him first. But if I had waited until we were ready to discuss such a thing, I wouldn't have the information to try to convince council that they should step back and stay out of this."

"So talk to Renji before council. Tell him what you asked Kisuke and why you asked. Byakuya, it is perfectly reasonable that you wanted to know what was possible."

"I have thought of doing that…but Renji might not be ready to have that discussion. You might recall that he is younger…and Renji has quite a few friends. I know he has had other relationships and that none of those have been serious. Yoruichi, this might put too much pressure on him. I won't put him in that position."

Yoruichi narrowed her eyes.

"You may not have a choice. I think you should explain this to him."

"Senpai, I don't want to pressure him…but I also do not wish to seem disinterested. To be completely honest, I love the idea of having Abarai Renji become a permanent fixture in my life. I did ask him to move into the manor."

"So if he agreed to that, why wouldn't he want the rest as well?"

Byakuya lowered his eyes.

"Senpai, it is much easier to walk away from a relationship if there are no complications. Living together provides the close proximity I am craving without putting pressure on Renji to feel that he has to…over-commit."

Yoruichi turned and took him firmly by the shoulders, forcing him to look at her.

"So you don't think he'll stay on his own? You don't trust what is between you enough to even speak to him about it? Byakuya, you're not being fair. If you have strong feelings for Renji…strong enough to want permanency, then he deserves to know that. I know why you're holding back. You are in love with him. You want to share everything with him…and you are scared to death that you'll tell him that and he won't return the feeling. Little Byakuya, you are in big trouble."

"You seem very sure of yourself," he commented, pulling away from her.

"I am sure of one thing," she went on, "If you want Abarai Renji to seriously consider settling down and having children, then you have to start by treating him as an equal. You think you're doing all of this out of sensitivity for Renji's youth and his need for freedom, but that is not what you are really concerned about."

Byakuya blinked slowly.

"Very well then," he said calmly, "if indeed I am doing this for selfish reasons, would you mind telling me what they are? Because I don't see that…I don't see that at all."

Yoruichi sat down on a bench next to the koi pond and motioned for Byakuya to join her. After a moment of hesitation, he sat down next to her, turning to look at her as she continued.

"Think about what you're doing, Byakuya. You are going out of your way to make it easy for Renji to leave. It is as though you expect him to leave at some point."

"Doesn't everyone?" Byakuya said, then he stopped himself, surprised at his own words.

Yoruichi sighed and let the question hang in the air between them.

"Do you see what I mean? You expect him to leave you. Why?" she asked softly, "What has Renji ever done to indicate that he is any less committed to this than you are?"

"It is not a matter of his willingness to commit. It is a simple fact. Everything ends…often with little warning. What good would it do to pretend things any differently?" he asked, an edge of tension coming into his voice.

"This is about your parents? Hisana?"

"They were only the means by which I learned."

"So you aren't really worried so much about scaring Renji off by rushing things. You are worried that you will give yourself over to this…and that, for whatever reason, things will end, and you will be alone again…right?" Yoruichi asked, flicking her eyes upward to meet his.

Byakuya sighed resignedly.

"That does seem to be the pattern," he admitted quietly.

"Byakuya, you really need to listen to me. You are not going to hold this relationship together by refusing to fully commit yourself to it. Even though things end…sometimes suddenly, or badly…it is worth it to take the risk…to let yourself embrace it. How else can you really find happiness?"

"Renji is moving in…after he is released from the healing center. I can content myself with that."

"So you will settle for contentment because you are afraid to let yourself be happy?" she asked pointedly, "You _are_ a fool, Byakuya."

"Am I?" he asked, "Is it foolish to approach something with respect for its ability to inflict damage?"

"Love does not inflict damage, Byakuya, loss does."

"So I will offer what I am willing to lose," he said softly, "I do not wish to set myself up to repeat what happened with Hisana."

"Will you please listen to me?" Yoruichi said, bringing a hand up to touch his face, "You don't understand this at all. Byakuya, you have already given all of yourself over to loving Renji…but you are trying very hard to convince yourself that you haven't. You and Renji have the opportunity to be very happy together. But you can't do that unless you are honest with yourself. Think about what happened when we came to find you. Renji almost died. You almost faced the very loss you fear. Can you honestly tell me that you would have responded any differently if you had never confessed your feelings to him in the first place? You don't have to answer…because you and I both know that it doesn't matter what you did or didn't say or do. You would have suffered more damage if you hadn't acted on your feelings, because then you would have been faced not only with loss, but with regret. And if you let Renji live with you and never tell him what you really want, then if you do lose him, you will be faced with knowing that he never knew what was really in your heart. What you are doing is not self-protective, Byakuya. It is destructive."

Byakuya stared at her silently.

"Think about this, Byakuya. When you loved Hisana, you loved her with your whole heart…and you did lose her. But you made every day count. That gave you comfort when she was gone. It kept you from feeling regret over what you should have done. Go to Renji and start making every day count. Because every day that you spend with him in happiness is a day that cannot be taken from you…no matter what."

She leaned forward and caught the startled noble in a warm embrace. He froze for a moment, then his body relaxed slightly. She released him and stood. Byakuya rose with her.

"Well, I've done enough love counseling for now. I have friends to visit before I return to the living world. I will come back to say good-bye before I leave. You think about what I said."

Byakuya nodded, but said nothing.

Yoruichi flash stepped away, and as she disappeared, Byakuya fell his hair drop down around his shoulders and onto his face.

"Demon cat," he said, almost smiling.

He turned and walked slowly back through the garden, studying the brightly colored flowers and koi. He could almost feel Renji's presence beside him, could almost hear the curious questions. His voice, his body language, everything conveyed honest curiosity and genuine interest. The words they exchanged were informative, but they held something more…respect, interest, even love at its very beginnings.

He thought about the moment that had changed everything, when Renji woke and realized he had fallen asleep in Byakuya's bed and had awakened to find himself practically lying on top of his taichou. He tried to remember deciding to kiss Renji. But he hadn't made a conscious decision to do so. He had done so on impulse. Renji had asked him later why he did it. And Byakuya hadn't known the answer. He had given a clumsy, uncertain answer, but he suddenly realized what had made him take that step.

_You have already given all of yourself over to loving Renji…but you are trying very hard to convince yourself that you haven't._

He remembered their time in the living world, how right it felt to care for Renji…how he had, in fact, embraced doing things for Renji, even stupid menial tasks like cooking and cleaning. It all had just seemed right and fitting.

"Because that is what you do when you love someone," he whispered to himself.

He realized that he had reached his bedroom door and looked into the room, trying to imagine how Renji's presence would change it. It was more than just the stand he had found in his father's personal effects, the one he had resurfaced and placed next to Senbonzakura's to hold Zabimaru. It was more than room made in a closet or a dresser that would no longer be empty. It was a sense of fullness, a sense of completion. And that feeling wasn't about simply living in the same house, meeting at the breakfast table or sharing a bed. It was the merging of two lives…and it wasn't going to be so easy to let go of…or to walk away from. Suddenly, Kuchiki Byakuya felt as foolish as Yoruichi had claimed he was.

"Damn," he whispered, "I hate it when she is right."


	16. Finding Balance

**Chapter 16: Finding Balance**

Renji followed Byakuya through the gates and into the front entryway of the Kuchiki home, thinking how odd it felt that this place he had hardly dared to set foot in was now going to be his home. He hadn't had time yet to empty out his apartment, and now he was feeling somewhat nervous about doing so. It was a big step, moving in with Byakuya. Renji hadn't realized how big a step it was until just then. He followed Byakuya into the entry and they paused as the housekeeper greeted Byakuya. She handed him a set of keys, bowed and left them alone in the room. Byakuya turned to Renji.

"These are your keys to the gates, house and grounds. You may come and go as you like now. The staff has been made aware that you are my…that you are living here with me. The staff prepares meals on a set schedule, so you will want to be certain you are here on time if you are planning to eat here. I assumed that you would be sharing my room, but I have had a second room cleared that you may put to whatever use you wish. I…"

"Byakuya…wait," Renji said, his face looking somewhat pale.

Byakuya studied Renji carefully for a moment.

"What is it?" he asked finally.

Renji paused and looked down at the floor, gathering his thoughts. Byakuya waited silently, his eyes guarded.

"Byakuya…I don't know if…I'm ready for this, you know? I mean, I thought I was. I was looking forward to this. I don't know. Maybe, I just didn't realize what it would be like…or…maybe I just wasn't expecting that I'd feel so…" he paused, looking for some response in Byakuya's expression.

Byakuya looked back at him in silence for a moment longer, then slowly reached out and placed a warm palm on his face.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Renji," he said in an unusually soft tone that Renji hadn't heard him use since they returned from the living world, "I gave you an invitation. It wasn't an order."

He removed the hand from Renji's face and brought it to rest on the hand that held the keys.

"Come and go as you will, then. Keep your apartment if you wish. Whatever it is that will ease your mind."

He leaned forward and kissed Renji lightly on the mouth, then turned and flash stepped away.

Renji stood in the entry room with the keys in his hand, listening to the silence and the sound of his own breathing. His heart was beating too fast. He was scared to death he had just hurt Byakuya and he really hadn't meant to. He didn't know what had made him feel so uncomfortable when they came in…or why his heart wouldn't stop beating so fast. He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. And he didn't understand his feelings at all. He wanted to turn and run, but another part of him wanted desperately to find Byakuya and apologize. He breathed in and out slowly, gaining some equilibrium, then stepped forward and out of the entryway onto the walkway. He turned toward Byakuya's…no, their bedroom and walked down the hallway.

He noticed several things as he stepped inside. First, there was a beautifully carved and finished stand next to the one that held Senbonzakura. The closet door stood open and there was space for his clothes. A second dresser had been set near Byakuya's and a second peg was set in the wall next to the one that usually held Byakuya's haori.

_You trying to tell me something, Taichou?_

Renji swallowed hard. He thought back to the living world and tried to figure out why they lived together so easily there and why it felt so different here.

_He was different there. He was just like me…no haori, no kenseiken. He was just Byakuya, the real person. But we were together here, too. I didn't feel like this when we were here before. Why do I feel this way now?_

He walked out the large double doors into the garden and walked slowly around the koi pond, remembering when they had walked there together.

_He was different when we walked here and I asked him questions about the flowers and plants. And I was pretty amazed at how much he knew about them. It was a whole new side to him that I didn't know at all. And I wanted so badly to get to know that side of him._

_Why do I feel different now? Damn! We went through so much crap just so we could get to this point and now I'm scared to death…and I have no idea why. I have to talk to him though. I have to at least try to explain, though it would be a hell of a lot easier if I understood it myself._

_I'm sorry, Byakuya. I don't know what's wrong with me._

He reached out with his senses, trying to sense which way Byakuya had gone. Unfortunately, Renji's lack of giftedness in this area worked against him and soon he had to admit to himself that he had no idea where Byakuya might be. He turned and made his way back into the bedroom. He sat down on the bed and closed his eyes, letting his breath out in a long sigh.

A shadow fell over the light that touched his closed eyes. Warm lips captured his lightly and he found himself suddenly being pushed down onto the bed. Renji kept his eyes closed and parted his lips, welcoming the heated tongue that plunged hungrily into his mouth and curled around his, teasing it with loving strokes until Renji felt himself growing breathless. The mouth broke away from his and attacked the soft tanned throat with long wet strokes and warm kisses.

"I'm sorry, Byakuya," he whispered, "I don't know why I did that."

Byakuya pulled away as Renji opened his eyes and looked up at him apologetically. The dark eyes studied him for a moment.

"What have you done that you need to be sorry for?" Byakuya asked, releasing his hair tie and watching the red hair fall around his shoulders, "You were honest with me. Renji…I would rather you told me the truth than to have you move in and have to be uncomfortable. So, we'll take our time. You may come to the manor any time you wish. You may leave when you like. If that is what you need to feel comfortable, then that is how it will be."

Renji found himself taken by surprise again. He looked up into the beautiful dark eyes and wondered how he could ever have felt uncomfortable thinking of living with Byakuya.

"I think I just got a little overwhelmed," he explained as Byakuya's fingers traced the lines of his face and threaded through his hair, "It was a shock to realize that I was really going to live in this beautiful place…with you, Byakuya. For someone like me who grew up with nothing…"

"I thought perhaps I had said or done something to make you feel uncomfortable…" Byakuya admitted.

Renji's eyes widened.

"Oh, hell no, Taichou…Byakuya. You didn't do anything. It's just that I've never lived in a place where it looks so clean that dust would be scared to settle on the furniture, you know? I guess I was afraid there would be a lot of rules and expectations…and I might…"

"Renji," Byakuya said, again in that unusually gentle tone, "there are expectations, rules, but I won't expect that you will know them and I will certainly be happy to explain them. And if you find that living here is too…restrictive for you, then you do not have to stay. I asked you to live here, because you add enjoyment to my life. And I hope I do the same for you."

Renji smiled.

"You do, Byakuya. Believe me, it isn't you that takes getting used to. I got used to you a long time ago."

Byakuya's lips twitched softly in amusement.

"I see," he said quietly, pulling free of the redhead and standing, "Come, Renji."

"But," Renji objected, "We were just…"

"I said I would explain rules and expectations of living here. So I shall. Dinner is served at this time every night without exception. If you wish to eat, then you will not be late. I've asked for it to be served in the gardens. I hope you find that enjoyable. We have a dining room, but if the weather is good, I tend to enjoy meals in the gardens."

"Outside works for me," Renji said, climbing to his feet and following Byakuya out the bedroom doors into the gardens.

They stopped on a small covered patio and took their places. Rukia flash stepped to the table just as they were sitting down.

"Sorry, Nii-sama," she said a bit breathlessly, "Ukitake taichou had me working with some new squad members."

Byakuya nodded.

"I trust all went well, then?"

"Yes, Nii-sama, all went well."

Rukia began putting food on her plate, then suddenly seemed to become aware of Renji sitting next to her brother.

"Oh! Abarai Renji, how nice you've come for dinner!"

Byakuya and Renji turned to look at each other in amusement. Byakuya cleared his throat softly.

"Rukia…Renji is going to be…" he stopped and glanced at Renji questioningly.

"Byakuya asked me to move in with him," Renji explained, "and I said I would."

"Oh," Rukia went on obliviously, "I hope he gave you a nice room. The ones along the…"

"Rukia," Byakuya said, catching her attention, "Renji will be sharing my room."

She stared blankly for a moment, then caught herself.

"Oh, of course, Nii-sama, how silly of me to forget!"

"I should have made certain you knew," Byakuya said apologetically, "We were very focused on Renji's recovery, so we didn't make a formal announcement."

"That's okay, Nii-sama. I understand. We were all very worried about Renji…and about you.

Their focus turned to eating and the conversation fell away. As he sat quietly eating, Kuchiki Byakuya stole glances at Abarai Renji's face and decided that he looked somewhat more comfortable since their arrival at the manor. Of course, telling Renji about the council meeting was sure to unnerve him again. Byakuya sighed and wondered if he had made a mistake. He thought back to his conversation with Yoruichi. It did seem important to let Renji know the direction of his thoughts about their association, but at the same time, Renji was already feeling pressure. He didn't want to make that worse. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Taichou, is something wrong?"

He realized suddenly that Rukia was gone from the table and he was staring solemnly into a cup of tea. He looked up at Renji and shook his head.

"Everything is fine, Renji. But there is something I need to tell you."

He studied Renji's face for a moment.

"A new council has been seated and they have called a council of action regarding my association with you, Renji. The council has requested that you and I attend the session together."

Renji looked surprised.

"They want me to go with you?"

"Yes, they want us both to attend. I am not certain of their intent. They will, I am sure, have questions and they may be uncomfortable for you to hear and answer. It is a difficult situation, Renji, because there are commitments I made when I became clan leader. I am required to keep them, but at the same time, it is not my wish to make you feel pressured."

"What kind of commitments?" Renji asked.

His comfort level was rapidly decreasing again.

"All clan leaders take vows of service. At that time, we agree to abide by the rules and codes of the clan. My association with you violates the clan rules for one very specific reason."

"And that is?"

Byakuya met Renji's eyes cautiously.

"Before I tell you that, I want to remind you, Renji, that just because there is something expected of me, it does not mean that those things are required of you. You are under no obligation to do anything that you don't want to. These things are required of me and I will find a way to see to them regardless of whatever you decide to do."

Renji nodded uncertainly.

"Renji, our association violates clan rules because one of the agreements I made is the agreement to pass on the power that is within me by the making of heirs."

Renji was looking more unnerved by the moment. Byakuya decided that stopping the conversation couldn't undo the tension, so he pressed on, hoping that he could contain the damage.

"This is not something I have to do immediately, of course, but when I make certain choices, I must make them with that obligation in mind."

"So…because you and I can't have kids, we can't stay together?"

"Actually, we could possibly work around it. Other clan leaders have in the past, carried on an association like ours, while also marrying and providing heirs. It is something the council could suggest, though not something I wish to do. It would require a high level of discretion on our part. I feel that…it would be living a lie. I don't know about you, but that isn't something I feel comfortable with. I don't see how I could ever marry someone…have children with someone who I do not love. And I don't think that you and I are doing anything wrong by being together. I won't put the two of us in a position where we have to hide what we are doing."

Renji was meeting Byakuya's gaze squarely now. While Renji had been the uncertain one only moments before, now it was Byakuya who felt the pressure.

"So what other options do you have, Byakuya? I don't see how you can meet that obligation as long as you are seeing me. So…why do you want me to live here? If you and I are eventually going to go our separate ways so that you can marry and have children, then why do this?"

Byakuya took a sip of tea and steeled himself for Renji's probable reaction.

"While we were in the living world, I went to Urahara Kisuke. It had been made known to me that one area that he had been quite persistent in investigating was the development of a way for same gender couples to procreate."

He stopped as a hint of fear entered Renji's eyes.

"You mean…you…and…"

"Renji…I only went to Kisuke to confirm whether or not it was possible, not because of any wish to pursue such a thing right away. Because if I can convince the council that such a thing is possible, then our association no longer violates the rules. It is a way to validate our association…not a means of pressuring you to…"

"So…you're saying it will put the council off and we can be together…and then what, Byakuya? Isn't the end result the same? If you don't expect me to…then what do you expect we'll do?"

Byakuya closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.

"I expect that we'll take one day at a time and see where this leads."

Renji leaned forward, his eyes serious.

"Byakuya, you once told me that if I thought this should be a short term thing, I should tell you. You made it sound to me like you wanted to be with me for a long time…maybe permanently. Now you sound as though you want something more open. You asked me to be clear about what I want. And I'm asking you to do the same. All day long, you've been going out of your way to say that it's okay if I don't want to…move in…or let go of my apartment. Are you saying that because you are having doubts or are you just trying to make me feel less pressure?"

Byakuya was suddenly taken with the sensation of being poised on a precipice and just on the verge of falling.

"Renji," he said quietly, taking the redhead's hand in his, "I don't want to put pressure on you to give more than you wish to give. That means that I don't want my expectations to make you feel obligated."

"The hell with feeling obligated or pressured, Byakuya!" Renji said sharply, "What do you want from me?"

There was a long silence. When Byakuya spoke again, his voice was soft and distant.

"I want to share everything with you, Renji. But I want us to take our time doing that. If staying together permanently and having children is in our future, I think that is a good thing. But those choices should be made when we are ready to make them…not because of vows of service…or a council edict. I think that love between two people needs to be allowed to grow as it will. It cannot be forced to grow in the time or direction of anyone's choosing. It simply is what it is. If you and I are meant to remain together, we will find our way, Renji. And if we are not…then I will find a way to accept that."

He released Renji's hand and stood.

"It is late…and we are working tomorrow. Council meets at nine. We can go to the office after that. Good-night, Renji."

He turned and walked back through the gardens and into the bedroom, forcing himself not to look back. He paused at the door to slip the haori off of his shoulders and hang it on its peg, then he walked into the dressing area and slowly removed the kenseiken, scarf, gloves and shihakushou, setting each in its place. He slipped into his nightclothes and stepped out into the darkened bedroom. All was quiet except for the soft sound of cicadas and the breeze moving the branches of the sakura trees. He left the garden doors open and turned back toward the bed. He had just reached it when there was a stirring in the air and the hiss of a flash step.

Suddenly, Kuchiki Byakuya found himself being brought down in a breathless heap onto the bed. He fought down the urge to react and for once simply let himself fall. The weight of another body dropped warmly onto his, trapping him beneath it. Heated lips found his and a blazing tongue invaded his mouth. He felt the tie at his waist release and then the warm hands were touching him everywhere, stroking the skin at his throat, sliding over his pounding heart and moving down to touch him more intimately. And where those hands went, the hungry mouth followed, teasing the pale skin, tasting it, bringing the stunned noble's trapped body to life beneath it.

"Renji!" he gasped breathlessly, and then he found himself speechless.

He yielded easily to his red-haired lover, as Renji's body fell down onto his. He clung tightly to the redhead, biting down on the muscular shoulder as his unprepared body was roughly claimed. The sudden shock of pain left him breathless again, but was quickly replaced with pleasure as his lover's powerful hips began to move and his mouth returned to heat the noble's with a torrent of seething kisses.

Byakuya gazed up into the feral brown eyes, caught up in their wildness and he thought again how beautiful Renji looked, uncontrolled, reckless, heedless…unyielding. He had to wonder, looking into those untamed eyes if he could or even should hope for such a commonplace thing as marriage…children…a future of any kind. But right now, it didn't matter. For now he could bury himself deeply in the strength of Renji's body, the embrace of his reiatsu and the waves of pleasure taking hold of his own body and sending it reeling. Letting go of everything but the moment, Kuchiki Byakuya held on to Renji and just let himself feel alive.


	17. Defining Relations

**Chapter 17: Defining Relations**

Abarai Renji did the unthinkable the next morning and woke before Kuchiki Byakuya. It was probably, Renji decided, that Byakuya wasn't accustomed to spending half the night making love before falling into a beautiful dazed stupor and sinking into blissful unconsciousness until well after the sun rose. But then, he had to ask himself why _he_ woke so early. In the end, he came to the conclusion that it was his new surroundings and the excitement he felt at the sudden turn his life had taken. As much as he had feared the overwhelming size and spotlessness of the Kuchiki manor, its strict mores and routines, he couldn't get over its beauty and peacefulness…and its best feature, waking to a very naked and relaxed Byakuya wrapped around him. _Yes,_ Renji thought, _I can definitely live with this!_

He took a little too much pleasure in kissing said noble awake a scant few minutes before breakfast was to be served and calmly reminding him that if he wanted to eat, he must arrive at the table on time. It was then that he learned just how quickly Byakuya could dress and disappear from the bedroom. Renji was lucky to have dressed before waking the noble…and still barely made it to the table on time. Rukia, having arrived before both of them, simply smiled to herself and busied herself with the food in front of her.

Renji noticed quickly that although he had seemed fine when they woke, Byakuya's reiatsu became more and more disturbed with each passing moment. With the council meeting upon them, it was easy to understand why. Renji suddenly found himself getting caught up in wondering what the council would do and was startled when Byakuya broke out of his reverie, solemnly announcing that it was time to leave.

Renji followed Byakuya quietly out of the manor and into the streets of the Seireitei. The noble's reiatsu, though it had roiled beneath the surface all morning, was recovering its sense of calm, and Renji imagined that the council had best be prepared to face a very calm and collected clan leader. He found Byakuya's calmness reassuring. Just as in times when they faced battle, Renji knew that a calm Byakuya was nothing short of deadly. And though deadly force might not be necessary, precise thinking and careful maneuvering certainly would be. And when this kind of calm overtook the noble, he had no equal at these things.

Sensing that he was in the midst of some sort of mental preparation, Renji remained silent at Byakuya's side until they reached the Kuchiki Council Hall and began the climb up the front steps.

"They're doing a nice job with the reconstruction," Renji commented, earning him a brief, but genuine smile from Byakuya.

"Come Renji," he said quietly, "this way."

He followed Byakuya the rest of the way up the steps and into the huge marble entry. They passed the guards without challenge and entered the central meeting room, where they got their first glimpse of the new council of Elders. It struck Renji that a few of the new Elders…didn't look all that old.

"Byakuya…aren't a few of these Elders a bit young for the job?" he asked softly.

"The term 'Elder' is actually somewhat loosely used here," Byakuya explained, "Each family group within the clan chooses their representative and the council elects the clan leader. The choices for Elders are mostly based on considerations of experience, wisdom and power."

"So…you're also the Elder for your family?" Renji queried.

"Yes, but that is because I have no other family members qualified for the position. Rukia cannot serve because she is not blood related. So until I have offspring of suitable age, I fill both positions."

Byakuya led Renji to the head of the table and they sat down together. The other Elders filed in and took their places. Finally, a tall, stern looking female Elder with a very commanding reiatsu stood and addressed them.

"The newly seated Council of Elders welcomes your return, Lord Byakuya. Welcome Abarai Renji. I am Noriko, the Head Elder. Beside me are councilors Mizuki, Daichi and Fumio. Across from me are councilors Hitoshi, Isao, Katsu and Ryuu. We have one item on the agenda today. Council has met to discuss the association of our clan leader and Abarai Renji, and we are in agreement that there is a need to come to some sort of peaceful resolution. While it is generally agreed that the association violates clan code, Council notes that there is a need to seek some form of compromise in the interest of balancing the clan's status and reputation against the general right of the clan leader to conduct his personal life without great amounts of interference. Council has prepared a list of questions that will help us to reach that compromise. Councilor Fumio?"

A serious looking younger man with deeply calm reiatsu and contemplative eyes rose to begin the questions.

"Lord Byakuya, Council has noted that in the past, you married Kuchiki Hisana. At that time, you made clear your understanding that the relationship did violate clan rules, but you were given an exemption and allowed to marry. This suggests that while you question the right of the council to judge the merits of your choices, you do not question the general practices of courtship and marriage under the clan guidelines. Is this correct?"

"That is correct," Byakuya answered calmly, "I do not contest the general rituals, simply the restrictions regarding my right to choose who I will court."

Fumio nodded briefly and went on.

"And when you courted your wife, you did so according to all clan guidelines as well?" he asked

"Yes, once Council granted approval, I courted my wife according to clan rules of courtship. As I said at the time, it was Council interference in my personal life that was at issue."

Fumio sat down and Hitoshi stood.

"You understand the importance of keeping our family's power intact and protecting the bloodline to ensure its purity, do you not?" he asked

"While I understand the importance of passing on my power to heirs, I question the strict choosing of bloodline purity over other considerations when it comes to my choice of partner," Byakuya replied.

"That is rather vague," commented Hitoshi, "What is more important than bloodline purity?"

"The choice of a spouse should be based on compatibility…love," Byakuya answered calmly.

"And how does love result in powerful heirs?"

"It is not a guarantee of powerful heirs," replied Byakuya, "but even among pure bloodlines, power is not a given. I contend that marriage should be for love. I cannot marry and produce heirs with one I do not love."

"So we are left to assume that you will not produce heirs if you do not fall in love."

"Yes."

"And you realize that you promised to produce heirs."

"Yes…I have every intention of producing heirs at such time as I fall in love and choose a spouse."

Hitoshi sat down and Ryuu stood.

"Lord Byakuya, are you in love with Abarai Renji?"

Byakuya nodded.

"I am."

"And you realize that you and Renji are not able to produce offspring?"

"That is not true."

A rumbling of voices erupted at the table. Noriko brought the council quickly back to order, then turned to Byakuya.

"You say that you and Abarai Renji can procreate?"

"We can," Byakuya answered softly, "Urahara Kisuke has provided me with proof that such a thing is possible and has been accomplished successfully. Full notes regarding this can be made available immediately."

The room went silent for a long moment. Finally, Noriko went on.

"Lord Byakuya, the council will study the information at length later. For the purposes of this Council, we will tentatively accept that procreation is possible."

Daichi stood next.

"This question is for Abarai Renji."

Renji swallowed nervously and felt Byakuya's calm brush of reiatsu.

"Are you in love with Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Renji responded without hesitation.

"Yes…I am."

"And…how did you come to the conclusion that this was love?" Daichi asked.

"I am his fukutaichou, so I spend a lot of time with Kuchiki taichou. One of my most important duties is to protect him…to care for his needs. When he was injured, I stayed with Kuchiki taichou at his manor, and it was during that time that we realized that there was more between us than our work relationship."

"And who was in pursuit of whom?"

"That is personal…sir," Renji said, his reiatsu flaring slightly.

"My apologies," said Daichi, "but the question relates to Lord Byakuya's contention that he will only marry for love. It is relevant to know who was pursuing whom."

Renji sighed.

"I would have to say that we pursued each other. Neither of us really planned to fall in love. It just…happened."

"And how do you know this is love?"

Renji closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself.

"I know this is love because when I wake up in the morning, he is the first person I think of. And when we see each other for that first time every day, his eyes change. His reiatsu changes. He seems…lighter. And I know this is love because we take care of each other. Believe me, the situation with the previous council tested that. And until that happened, I didn't know that Taichou…knew so much about flowers and plants…that he had a well hidden sense of humor…that he would lower himself to do menial chores and care for me while I was recovering from my injuries. When I realized who Byakuya is on the inside, I knew I felt more than a fukutaichou feels for his taichou. I…don't know how else to describe it."

Daichi sat down and Noriko stood.

"Abarai Renji, are you aware of Lord Byakuya's responsibility to see to the continuance of power in our clan through the making of heirs?"

"Yes."

"And if, as Lord Byakuya has stated, you are capable of having offspring together, can you see yourself marrying and having children with him?"

Renji froze.

"That is not a fair question," said Byakuya firmly, "Renji and I are in the early stages of courtship. He can't be expected to answer that question yet."

"Lord Byakuya," Noriko said sternly, "with all due respect, Council is aware that you are living with Abarai Renji. This suggests a relationship deeper than the beginning stages of courtship. The question is fair. Abarai Renji?"

Renji took a calming breath.

"If that is what he wants…"

"What about your feelings, Abarai Renji? What about what you want? It is a great responsibility to marry a clan leader. There are rules…expectations. I know you are aware of this. Are you prepared to live a life guided by our rules and codes?"

Renji steeled himself. He didn't dare look at Byakuya. The heavy reiatsu was enough to convey his discomfort.

"I will do whatever is expected of me," he said finally, "I would die for Byakuya."

Now Noriko smiled.

"I imagine that is what makes you such an accomplished fukutaichou," she said, surprising Renji with a moment of genuine warmth.

She turned to Byakuya.

"And do you share these feelings?"

"I do."

"As is demonstrated by your willingness to accept punishment and imprisonment by the prior Council, simply to honor that sentiment. So to summarize, Lord Byakuya, you feel that you should be able to choose your spouse based on love, not bloodline purity because bloodline purity is not a guarantee of power in heirs. You say you are in love with Abarai Renji. And you say that you and Abarai Renji are capable of procreating. There is, on record, an exemption for you to marry the peasant Hisana, so the precedent has been set that Council need not concern itself greatly with Abarai Renji's status as a peasant. This rule was broken once…and so it seems we must follow that precedent. All that is left is to allow Council to consider your position and to take a vote. Council will adjourn to discuss this and we will reconvene after we have voted. You will be contacted by hell butterfly when Council reaches a decision."

She smiled.

"Lord Byakuya, with your permission, Council will adjourn."

Byakuya nodded. The councilors rose and filed out.

"Well…that was…not as bad as I thought it would be," commented Renji, "Byakuya, why were they so…calm about this? The last council was beating the hell out of us for even considering being together. This doesn't make sense."

Byakuya nodded in agreement.

"Their attitude…their reiatsu was too calm. I have a feeling they are up to something, but we are going to have to wait for their decision to find out what it is."

"You mean, we have to go to work and try not to think about this until they send for us."

"Hmm," Byakuya said, studying Renji, "I imagine we'll need to pursue something that requires concentration, but is a bit more demanding physically than paperwork."

"Taichou? What are you suggesting?" Renji asked, grinning.

"Certainly not what you are thinking Abarai fukutaichou. It is during work hours," said Byakuya dryly, "I was thinking about sparring."

Now Renji laughed.

"You saying that they made you want to go hit something, Taichou?" he said in amusement, "I feel like that too, but I'm not of the mind to go and beat up on you! Why do you want to take your frustration out on me?"

Byakuya gave Renji a sidelong glance as he turned for the door.

"I like the way you look when you fight," he said simply.

Renji froze for a moment, absorbing the impact of the comment.

"Taichou…are you…teasing me?" he asked, moving to follow.

"Abarai fukutaichou, it is only teasing if I do not plan on taking appropriate action after commenting."

Renji frowned in confusion.

"But…you just said that it is work hours!"

"Yes, fukutaichou, I did. However, after sparring, we will need to shower and change, will we not?"

All of a sudden, Renji felt the weight of the council meeting begin to lift from his shoulders. He followed Kuchiki Byakuya toward the Squad Six office with a much lighter heart.


	18. The Finishing Move

**Chapter 18: The Finishing Move**

"Taichou, where are we going?" Renji asked as they passed the Squad Six Office and continued walking.

"Ukitake taichou has a training ground useful for our sparring. I sent a hell butterfly to request its use."

"Why not just use the Squad Six training ground?"

"I prefer that we should train privately for now. No one will be on these grounds but us."

"Is there some reason we need to be alone to spar?" Renji asked, curious at his Taichou's odd behavior.

"I do not wish to attract attention," Byakuya explained, "I thought that because it is the first time we have crossed swords since…before…we should do so in seclusion."

Something in his taichou's tone suggested there was more to his behavior than a simple wish for privacy, but feeling an unusual tension in Byakuya, Renji decided it was best not to pressure him for an explanation. Instead, he walked calmly at Byakuya's side, studying the calm set of his expression and the veiled stream of thoughts and emotions that resonated just beneath the surface of the dark steel gray eyes.

They passed through the gates of the Thirteenth Division and into the courtyard. Juushiro stepped out of the office to greet them, then motioned towards a path that led into the trees.

"You said you wanted privacy and a place that could absorb the impact of powerful releases. This training ground should provide that."

As they reached the edge of the trees, the path opened into a large rocky ravine. It looked to Renji like the perfect place for a fight, offering open space and good footing for sword battle, changeable terrain on which to improve footwork and a strong reiatsu barrier to absorb the heavy exchanges of power. The numerous boulders provided cover and places from which to launch attacks. Renji glanced at Byakuya, who nodded in approval.

"This will suit our purposes. Arigato, Juushiro."

"No problem, Byakuya. When you are finished sparring, I'll have tea waiting in the garden patio."

Juushiro smiled and flash stepped back into the trees. As he passed into them, a hand reached out and grasped his arm. He slid to a stop, staring in surprise.

"Oh, Shunsui, it 's just you. What brings you here?"

I was just here to see the new atrium you had built. It is lovely, but what's going on here? Is that Byakuya?"

"And Renji, yes," Captain Ukitake replied, "Byakuya wanted a private place for sparring, so I'm letting them use my private training grounds."

"Are you sure it's training they mean to do down there?" he asked knowingly, "They say there is more going on between those two than plans for the Winter War. I hear that Abarai Renji just moved into the Kuchiki Manor."

"Then you heard correctly. But this meeting is not about that. This, I think, is about moving beyond past wrongs. I really think that Byakuya is trying to make amends."

Shunsui frowned in confusion.

"I thought they were in a relationship. Wouldn't that suggest that the fences weren't just mended, but that they were torn down altogether?" he asked.

"On many levels, yes. But remember, Byakuya nearly killed Renji…then later discovered how wrong he was to have done that. He carries guilt over that, and I think he brought Renji here so they could work through that."

"So let me see if I have this straight. Byakuya nearly killed Renji…and now he knows it was a mistake. So he has brought Renji here to…work things out by fighting? Juushiro…that doesn't make any sense at all."

"Well, it will. Here, let's step into the trees and watch for a bit."

"After you," Shunsui replied with a charismatic smile.

Below them, Byakuya faced Renji looking calm and poised.

"What level should we set on our power limiters, taichou?" Renji asked.

Byakuya blinked slowly.

"No limits," he said softly.

Renji's eyes widened.

"No…limits? Taichou?"

"We fight at full power, Abarai fukutaichou."

Renji stared, a little uncertain, but gripped with shocks of surprise, curiosity and pride. Usually only the captains sparred without power limits.

"I would be honored, Taichou," Renji said, stepping back.

"Abarai fukutaichou," Byakuya said, gazing into his eyes, "you said that you wanted with all of your heart to surpass me."

Renji felt a twinge of guilt and lowered his eyes.

"Look at me, Renji," Byakuya said firmly.

The brown eyes met steel gray guardedly.

"You said that you wanted with all of your heart to surpass me, did you not?" Byakuya repeated calmly.

Renji hesitated, staring back at Byakuya with troubled eyes.

"I do…I did…but…"

Byakuya flash stepped forward drawing his sword so quickly that Renji only knew to expect it because of the years he had spent carefully studying the noble and everything about his fighting style. Renji suddenly found Zabimaru in his hand, his body turning, and his sword moving to block the heavy slashes of Byakuya's Senka. There was a clash of metal on metal, then they were locked close together and Renji could feel the warmth of Byakuya's body close to his, locked in a fighting stance, his sword crossed with Zabimaru.

"Renji," Byakuya said, still holding them tightly in fighting position, "to want to surpass your taichou is an admirable goal."

"Yeah, I remember you saying something about that…just after I collapsed in a puddle of blood at your feet…Taichou."

Renji immediately regretted his words as he registered the look of pain that came into Byakuya's eyes. Byakuya threw his weight against Renji, forcing the two to release from each other. They slid slowly to a stop in guard stance and Renji saw the noble regain the calm in his eyes. Byakuya lowered Senbonzakura and took an open stance.

"You fought incredibly well, Renji. As I recall, each time I claimed there was something you could not do, you went on to achieve it. Your dedication to learning my moves and the way that I think when I fight are proof that you have the potential to stand as my equal on the battlefield."

He raised Senbonzakura.

"But if you want to stand as my equal, then you must be willing to go even further. Renji…when you sought to surpass me, you did it on your own, without the guidance you needed to focus your training, to find your strengths, to challenge your weaknesses, to set you firmly on your path. The training of Ban kai without that support denied you the edge you needed, the one that would have helped you to overcome the differences of power and experience that made me the victor that day."

Byakuya paused for a moment, gazing at Renji as he searched for the right words.

"It is the taichou's responsibility to see to the growth of those he leads. I failed to do that, Renji, and it resulted in your defeat."

"Uh…but isn't that a good thing for you, Taichou? I mean, if you'd shown me all you knew. If you'd been my guide, my mentor, then wouldn't you have just been setting yourself up to be defeated?" Renji asked.

He was nearly taken off his feet as Byakuya attacked again. Their swords clashed, their bodies turned and they locked together again with their faces close enough that Renji felt the light touch of his taichou's breath on his skin.

"If I had been the guide and mentor that you needed, Renji, then we would not have been on opposite sides that day. Because the connection between us would have been one of mutual respect and trust. Aizen Sousuke thinks in the way you suggested. He raises a powerful army, but does nothing to build their connections, their cooperation. When we face them in battle in the coming days, they will be powerful foes, but they cannot match the power of forces that have learned to connect, to combine their unique abilities and to fight from the heart."

Byakuya tore his weapon free and engaged in a flurry of heavy slashes, balanced thrusts and flashes of kido. Renji moved with him, blocking each move with practiced ease. They locked together and pushed away from each other again, sliding backward and holding their bodies in fighting position.

"You already know how to quickly study your opponent, how to anticipate and block his moves. You know how to read the ebb and flow of battle and you react swiftly to sudden moves. You are a capable fighter on your own, and you stand out as a leader when you fight alongside others. You fight with power and conviction. It is really not surprising that one such as you could achieve Ban kai unguided. But Renji, given the guidance and support you need, you have the potential to reach the level of taichou…and to defeat me on the battlefield."

Renji held Zabimaru ready, sensing that the true fighting was about to get underway. Byakuya did not keep him waiting. He raised Senbonzakura, locking the weapon into position for release.

"I will give you the guidance you need," Byakuya told him quietly, "not just to defeat me, but to defeat any powerful opponent you may face in battle."

Renji took a steadying breath and watched carefully, timing his blocking move.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura"

Byakuya's weapon glowed pink and began to dissolve into a shower of pink petal blades. Zabimaru flashed and crossed the distance, crashing down on Byakuya's weapon and halting it, mid-release. Byakuya nodded.

"Well done," he said softly.

Zabimaru snapped back and Renji stood ready for Byakuya's next move.

"Defeating a powerful enemy begins with what you already do so well. Read your opponent quickly, Test his powers and defenses, anticipate his moves."

Byakuya turned his blade point downward and released it. Renji watched as it sank into the ground at his taichou's feet and Byakuya began the release of his Ban kai.

"Ban kai, Scatter, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Renji was quick to respond.

"Ban kai, Hihio Zabimaru!"

The huge skeletal snake formed beside him, screeching loudly enough to make the ground tremble softly beneath them. Byakuya stood ready, his Ban Kai activated, the swirl of petal blades prepared to attack or defend at the speed of thought.

"The next thing you must learn is the creation of combined use of blade, power and kido that will serve to disrupt the flow of your opponent's rhythm of battle. This will help you find openings you can use to your advantage.

The petal blades around Byakuya rose suddenly. Renji thought first to block, but then a memory stopped him. It was a combination move! But what was coming with the blast of petal blades? Power cracked in the air as the petal blades bore down on him. The skeletal snake curled around him…and as it closed him away from Byakuya, Renji felt the hiss of his flash step. As the skeletal snake slithered free from him again, he launched a kido attack where he felt Byakuya's reiatsu and sent the skeletal snake flying in that direction.

"Hado #31, Shakkahou!"

Petal blades swirled around Byakuya.

"Hikotsu Taihou!" Renji cried, following the kido attack with a heavy blast from the skeletal snake.

The air cracked with power again as red fire from the skeletal snake met a rush of petal blades and both disappeared into a cloud of smoke and dust. The skeletal snake swept past Byakuya as he turned away and Renji's eyes widened at the sight of redness staining the pale skin of his taichou's shoulder. Byakuya landed gracefully, turning and facing Renji again.

"Nicely defended…and with a respectable counterattack," Byakuya said, ignoring his injury.

The petal blades flashed again and this time, Renji sensed a kido attack behind them. He set the skeletal snake against the blades, while halting the incoming kido attack with a nullifying incantation. He barely sensed the flash step and as his blade crossed Senbonzakura, he felt blood on his skin. Another kido spell struck and Renji found himself in a frighteningly familiar predicament. He looked down, once again finding himself in Byakuya's six rod prison of light. He had stopped it the first time, but had missed the release of the second cast. He looked into the dark gray eyes, expecting to see disdain or disappointment. He was surprised at the expression he found there. Pride. But why would Byakuya be proud of him for being caught in the same trap twice?

"You nearly escaped that, Renji. It was a move straight out of the taichou's training forms. It was an advanced combination that would have upended most ranked officers below taichou."

"Yeah…well I'm still trapped," Renji noted miserably, "The fight is over…isn't it, Taichou?"

"Is it?" Byakuya asked, flash stepping away.

He stopped a short distance away, the petal blades coalescing around him. Renji caught his breath sharply.

_He's going to attack!_

"You have everything you need," Byakuya said, calmly sending the shower of blades winging across the distance between them, "power, knowledge and conviction, Renji."

The blades bore down on him and Renji felt panic begin to rise inside.

_I can't stop that…_

"You can," came the soft voice from behind the rush of petal blades, "Focus…I'm not going to stop them. I know you can do this. Break the kido…Renji!"

The petals came down in a beautiful and deadly shower over him. He felt them closing in and suddenly the spirit energy burst out of him. Golden rods exploded into shards around him. Blinding power rose out of him and the skeletal snake curled around his body, taking the brunt of the ferocity of Byakuya's attack. Rock exploded outward all around him and he felt the strain of his power locked against Byakuya's. With a hard battle cry, he sent the skeletal snake in Byakuya's direction, flash stepping across the distance and crossing swords with Byakuya again. They stood face to face, fierce eyes locked, bodies taut, and their power swelling around them.

Renji gasped in surprise as Byakuya closed the distance, passing dangerously close to the naked edges of their blades and capturing Renji's mouth in a deep, warm kiss. Renji dared not move as Byakuya's body pressed forward against the blades and his tongue curled around his stunned fukutaichou's. He held Renji spellbound, calmly treating his fukutaichou's mouth to a pleasant combination of strokes and light touches. Renji's heart pounded madly in his chest and his legs began to weaken beneath him. Finally, Byakuya released his lips and stepped back, carefully extricating himself from their still crossed blades, clearing his and slipping Senbonzakura back into the sheath at his hip.

"Beautiful," he whispered appreciatively, "You are a worthy opponent, Renji."

Renji stepped back, sheathing his blade and laughing softly to release the tension that lingered in his body.

"Hah," he said softly, "I may have broken your kido, but your finishing move just about killed me…Taichou."

Byakuya's lips curved into a very uncharacteristic soft smile.

"Were you speaking of the swordplay or the kissing?" he asked quietly.

"Well," Renji said, stepping forward, "both are exceptionally deadly, Taichou. But I was referring to the kissing. Just…promise me that you won't use that on any of your other opponents. It's a one-hit fatality, but I think it would make me jealous."

"Would it?" Byakuya said as Renji's arms closed around him, "I'll try to keep that in mind."


	19. Waiting

**Chapter 19: Waiting**

Shunsui leaned back against a large pine tree, shifting slightly to scratch his back on the rough bark. As Juushiro settled down beside him, a low rumble went through the ground beneath them. Juushiro glanced down at the two combatants below them and gave a low whistle.

"Not screwing around, eh?" observed Shunsui, tipping his straw hat back to better view the fight.

"They're fighting full power!" exclaimed Juushiro, "I hope Byakuya knows what he is doing!"

"Yeah…I thought you said he was trying to mend fences, not blast them to bits. I sure hope Abarai has his affairs in order."

"I wouldn't be so quick to count him out. He has studied his taichou's every move for years," commented Juushiro, "I don't think there's a soul reaper alive who knows Byakuya's tactics as well as Abarai Renji."

"I don't believe that Byakuya's fighting tactics are all that kid has studied…if you take my meaning," Shunsui remarked coyly, "Byakuya had best mind his flash step."

Ukitake leaned back against the tree behind him.

"Abarai certainly does seem to read him with needle sharp acuity. But so far, it seems he hasn't figured out why Byakuya brought him here."

"Have you?" asked Shunsui, smiling, "because to me, it looks like the Kuchiki master is engaging in some kind of kinky foreplay. It would explain his concern for keeping this private."

"So would the fact that they are bringing out their Ban Kai," added Juushiro.

"Ah, that's right," said Shunsui, sitting up straighter, "Abarai reached Ban Kai…"

"Yes, I've seen it," said Juushiro, "a huge skeletal snake."

Shunsui chuckled knowingly.

"It may be big, but Byakuya has both speed and amazing precision. Last time, he took that snake apart. Remember my friend, bigger is not always better!"

"So you keep telling me," Juushiro countered, "but that snake isn't just big, my friend. It is also quite powerful. Remember too that the eyes of a snake are quite hypnotic. Have you ever seen the way Byakuya stares at the moon? He could become entranced."

"Not likely," Shunsui said, shaking his head, "He may dream in the off hours, but on the battlefield, Kuchiki Byakuya is all business. And don't forget, that fang has to get close to penetrate his defenses. Do you care to wager on whether it lands?"

"You spoke too soon, my friend," Juushiro said, pointing, "There, on his shoulder. The fang left its mark."

"Well, I didn't say that Abarai wasn't skilled, but I think that in the end, his lack of experience will cause Kuchiki Byakuya to emerge the victor."

Below the two, power cracked in the air and the ground trembled. Dust rose up around the two combatants, obscuring the view. When the dust settled, the two squinted at the fighters locked in battle below them. Shunsui laughed.

"I told you so," he said, pushing himself to his feet, "He's got Abarai tied up and ready to roast. This fight is over."

Ukitake looked closer.

"Shunsui!" he exclaimed softly, "He…he can't mean to…"

Both stared in disbelief as the shower of petal blades coalesced and spun toward the snared fukutaichou. Frozen, they watched the petal blades turn and descend.

The two gasped softly in unison.

All at once, the ground beneath them began to shake madly and below them, the rods of light holding Abarai Renji shattered. The skeletal snake curled around him, absorbing the rain of petal blades, before launching in the direction of the dark haired taichou. Ban Kai gave way to a final rush of crossed swords and heavy waves of spirit energy. The two swordsmen locked together, face to face.

Then Kuchiki Byakuya leaned forward and, with practiced ease, delivered the final blow. Shunsui grinned and slapped Juushiro gently on the back.

"Told you so," he laughed softly.

"Nice move," Juushiro said appreciatively, "but if you'll look closer, I think you'll see he's definitely entranced."

"Can't disagree with that," sighed Shunsui, "but he still won."

"I think they both won," Juushiro said, dusting himself off, "Come on, let's go have some tea."

"Yes, tea…and a nice cold shower."

"Not necessary," said Juushiro, looking somewhat insulted, "I don't think they'll be here much longer. As I said, he's still entranced."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Taichou…I think that was the fastest tea I've ever attended," commented Renji as they passed out of the Thirteenth Division and turned toward the Sixth.

"Well, Abarai," Byakuya said, blinking, "the sparring left us overly warm and in need of a shower. Still, the situation required that we make an attempt to be polite. After all, Juushiro was kind enough to lend us his training ground."

"You know they were watching, don't you, Taichou?" Renji queried.

Byakuya stared straight ahead.

"Of course."

"And it doesn't…bother you?"

Byakuya stopped and turned to face Renji.

"No. Does it bother you?"

"No…I guess not. But I always knew you to be very…private, Taichou. You kissed me knowing that they were there."

Renji suddenly became very aware of just how busy the street was. So many people. But a moment later, Byakuya's dark eyes settled on him and everything disappeared into their calm gray depths. He stepped closer to Renji and placed a hand on his cheek, drawing him in for a single, lingering kiss…little more than a brushing against Renji's lips.

"Love is not something to be ashamed of, Abarai Renji, whatever form it takes. I won't hide what is between us. We have fought too hard for this."

He turned away in a dizzying swirl of raven hair. Renji caught his breath appreciatively.

"Come Renji, don't stand there daydreaming. We need to shower and get back to work."

Abarai Renji slipped out of his dusty shihakushou and pulled his hair tie free. He dropped the dirty uniform into the clothes hamper and stepped toward the steaming shower. He heard the soft sound of Byakuya's voice in the next room, telling him it would be a moment longer.

Content to wait, Renji carefully positioned the four shower heads so that all sprayed toward the middle of the shower, then stood in the middle, leaning back to wet the long strands of red hair that blazed down the length of his back. He closed his eyes, breathing in the humid air and enjoying the impact of the hot water on his bare skin. He was so engrossed in his enjoyment that he missed the opening and closing of the shower door.

"Kami, Byakuya! Don't sneak up on me like that! You could have given me a heart attack!" Renji exclaimed as Byakuya slipped his arms around the redhead from behind.

"You shouldn't let down your guard," Byakuya said into his ear.

"Why?" said Renji, grinning, "Are you going to attack?"

"Perhaps," came the soft reply, "You never know."

Byakuya left his arms wrapped around Renji and let his hands slide down over the powerful abdominals and on to slowly wake the sensitive flesh that awaited his attention. The redhead sighed and let the weight of his upper body sink back against Byakuya's chest and shoulder as his taichou's hands pleasured him. At the same time, Byakuya's lips pressed against the slick, wet skin of his neck.

"It looks as though you did not completely escape injury at the hands of my Senbonzakura," he murmured, studying the small red cuts on Renji's shoulders and back, "As your sparring partner, it is my responsibility to make amends for my carelessness."

So entranced by the play of his taichou's hands over his sensitive areas, Renji barely heard, but a shiver of delight ran through him as Byakuya's mouth soothed the stinging cuts with healing power. When he was finished healing the cuts, Byakuya massaged soap into the skin of his back, gently working his fingers into the aching muscles of his fukutaichou's back and shoulders. Renji moaned happily and leaned into the deep, pleasant touches. He was nearly asleep on his feet by the time Byakuya finished and turned him slowly so that they stood face to face beneath the pounding water. For the first time since Byakuya entered the shower, Renji encountered his taichou's intense and hungry gaze.

_He does look like he's about to attack!_

There was only time for that one quick thought, then Renji found himself pushed heavily against the tiled wall, a hot, slick body pressed tightly against his and his mouth relentlessly invaded by his taichou's marauding tongue. Byakuya's hands held the sides of his head as he thrust his tongue more deeply into Renji's mouth until the redhead moaned from having his mouth forced so achingly wide.

The noble's fingers left his face and slid down to his throat, where they followed the black tattoos. His mouth broke free of Renji's and the fukutaichou hastily caught his breath as his taichou's mouth joined his fingers, pleasuring the skin of Renji's throat and chest. Healing light flared as he encountered more small abrasions from their battle. As he worked his way down his fukutaichou's trapped body, Renji gave a lusty moan and sank his fingers into his taichou's thick black hair, tightening his fingers and gently adding pressure, pushing his taichou's head pleadingly towards the part of himself that most craved Byakuya's touch.

Byakuya dropped slowly to his knees in front of Renji and the redhead gazed down into the aggressive shine of his taichou's dark eyes, begging silently for release. His taichou's lips curved into a wickedly beautiful smile before yielding to that desire.

Renji moaned louder and tightened his hands in the dark hair, pushing his taichou's head more firmly downward, and pushing his hips upward. The noble continued until his fukutaichou's body shuddered and, crying out in pleasure, Renji released. Byakuya swallowed repeatedly, then let the redhead go and rested quietly. Renji caught hold of his taichou's arm and brought him back to his feet. He fastened his mouth tightly on Byakuya's, turning him and forcing him back against the wall, then holding him, hands roaming over the expanse of his pale skin, and kissing him until the noble's body trembled beneath his hands with barely restrained desire.

Still dizzy with pleasure, Renji eased Byakuya down onto the tiled shower seat and climbed onto his lap. He lowered his head and found Byakuya's open mouth, plunging into it with an eager, probing tongue and pleasuring its surfaces as his taichou moaned and shifted restlessly beneath him.

"Renji…" he panted into the redhead's mouth.

Renji brought his lips to his taichou's ear.

"I want you, Byakuya," he moaned, "I want you inside me!"

The noble groaned wantonly, and a hard shiver went through the length of his body. He kissed the redhead's face, throat and chest heatedly and his hips thrust upward hungrily. Renji smiled down at him, enjoying the sight of his taichou's beautiful searching mouth and half-closed eyes. He shifted and lifted his body, then slowly brought himself down

"Renji…" the noble moaned feverishly into his fukutaichou's hot, wet shoulder, "Kami, Renji…"

"It feels good?" Renji asked in a seductive whisper.

"Ahh…yes," Byakuya panted, "it feels good…Renji!"

Renji lowered his head to capture Byakuya's trembling lips, then slowly began to move again. Byakuya moaned in delight and slid his hands down Renji's slender back, bringing them to rest on his firm buttocks, rising and falling with them as they continued to writhe against him. He pressed his forehead into his lover's chest, his breath coming in short, steep bursts.

As he felt himself nearing release, Byakuya let his head fall back and drew a deep breath of steaming air. His hands gripped Renji's hips and he let his breath out sharply, his body shaking with pleasure as he released.

He remained there beneath Renji, eyes closed and chest heaving as he slowly regained his breath. Renji knelt over him, leaning down to kiss him, open mouthed and gently licking away droplets of water that clung to his face and throat.

When he had recovered himself enough to stand, Byakuya joined Renji underneath the hot spray of water, exchanging warm, indulgent kisses and treating each other's bodies by turn to latherings of soap and shampoo. Feeling the water beginning to cool, they washed everything away and stepped out into the steamy washroom.

Byakuya reached for a towel, but a warm hand caught his and he found himself pulled up against Renji's still-wet body.

"Allow me, Taichou," Renji said softly into his ear.

His fukutaichou held him there, gazing into the dark sated eyes and drying the moisture from his hair and skin. He slipped a robe around Byakuya and tied it at the waist, then finished with a final tender kiss on his taichou's lips.

"Arigato, Renji," Byakuya said, taking the towel from his fukutaichou's hand.

Renji sighed and leaned into Byakuya's embrace as he dried away the remaining droplets of water. He stood, admiring the tanned skin and tattoos a moment longer, then slipped a dressing robe around his fukutaichou's body and tied it at the waist.

They stepped out into the taichou's quarters, where Renji was surprised to find tea waiting.

"So that's what took you so long," Renji observed, moving over to pour the tea into the waiting cups.

Byakuya didn't reply, but sat down on the bed, relaxing his body against the pillows. He accepted a cup of tea from Renji and leaned back against the pillows again, sipping at the tea and studying Renji with a warm, tired gaze.

Renji sat down on the end of the bed, smiling and sipping his tea.

"Now, how are we supposed to go back to work after all of that!" he exclaimed softly.

Byakuya was still looking back at him, but the dark eyes were blinking sleepily now. Renji took the half empty cup of tea from Byakuya's hands and set the tea on the nightstand.

Byakuya sank down into the pillows as Renji returned to his side and laid down next to him, curling his body around his taichou's and sending him off to sleep with a tender kiss. Renji let his head settle on a warm shoulder and joined his taichou in sleep a few moments later.

As they slept, a hell butterfly floated noiselessly into the room and hovered in the air above them…waiting.


	20. Technicalities

**Chapter 20: Technicalities**

Byakuya opened his eyes and found the hell butterfly hovering lightly in the air above him. Registering his awareness, the fluttering insect yielded its message. The sudden sound of the head councilor's voice startled Renji into wakefulness.

_Lord Byakuya, Council requests your presence with Abarai Renji at a special session to further discuss Council's decision regarding your association. This council will meet at 3 PM today in the main council chamber. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter._

"Well," Byakuya said quietly, "at least they aren't keeping us waiting. It is already after two. We should dress."

Minutes later, Renji followed Byakuya out the front door of the Squad Six office and down the streets of the Seireitei. Byakuya moved in near silence, his mind lost in thought. He did wonder what the Council's decision would be, but not wishing to allow it to batter his mind, he tried to immerse himself in the lingering coolness of the late autumn afternoon, the swish of feet on the dusty ground and the comforting presence of Abarai Renji at his back. He loved this last. He had for quite some time. And with their relationship in the open, once they had Council approval, things would be pleasant indeed…if…they earned Council approval.

Then what?

He found himself thinking of the future again, of someday taking vows of life partnership, of what it would be like if someday he and Renji could have their own child. He loved Renji…and he loved the way they were now. He would embrace that, but he was looking forward to the rest of it too. Given time. Renji needed time to adjust. And he didn't mind waiting. The interim time would be filled with pleasant exchanges, days spent poring over reports, training, fighting hollows…afternoons walking in the gardens, evenings gazing at the moon and stars and long nights spent in each other's arms…yes, there was great beauty in present and future. And there was time to savor it slowly.

"Taichou?"

He had become lost in thought again.

"Yes, Renji?"

"What are you thinking about?" Renji asked.

Byakuya looked at him appraisingly. Renji was looking back at him with a curious expression.

"Why?" he asked, turning to continue walking.

Renji's words stopped him.

"Because…you looked so…happy. Taichou, I don't think you've ever looked that happy. Not in the whole time I've known you. So I was just wondering what it was that made you look that way."

Byakuya paused a moment longer, then turned back and leaned close to Renji, surprising him with a warm kiss. His lips traveled to Renji's ear.

"You did," he said softly, then he turned and kept walking.

Renji remained frozen and staring after him. Byakuya was already turning the next corner before he could move his feet again. When he could move, Renji flash stepped after Byakuya, catching up again just as he reached the Kuchiki Council Hall. Byakuya gave him a look of amusement and stepped inside with Renji at his side. They entered the central meeting room and moved to the head of the table. As soon as they were seated, Noriko stood and called the Council to order.

"Lord Byakuya, Abarai Renji, Council thanks you for arriving so quickly. This meeting will address the association between our clan leader and Renji Abarai. Council has discussed the responses to its questions and we have made a decision."

She paused for a moment, looking back at the other council members, then turned to look at Byakuya again. Something in her eyes…and in the eyes of the rest of the council left both Byakuya and Renji with an uneasy feeling. Noriko continued.

"Council has studied the information provided by Urahara Kisuke and has considered your point of view and has voted to conditionally approve your association," she said, letting her lips curve into a smile, "That being said, we do have concerns that the relationship advance according to rules of propriety. In short, Council does not approve of the way you have gone about this relationship, Lord Byakuya…so…if this relationship is to continue, you must follow our rules of courtship."

Byakuya blinked in surprise.

"You cannot expect that I…"

"Lord Byakuya…by your own admission, you do not oppose our rules of courtship. Council will accept this relationship only if from this point you adhere to the rules of courtship!"

"But…Renji has no family for me to petition…and Renji is…"

Renji stared at Byakuya looking mystified.

Noriko stepped forward, her eyes looking a little too triumphant.

"You said that you wanted a relationship with this man…and Council has given you what you want. We realize that Abarai Renji has no family to petition, that the two of you have already broken more than a few rules and that you are living together. Let me make this simple for you, Lord Byakuya. Council insists that you hold a family introduction, that you sleep separately and abstain from sexual relations for the rest of the courtship time period, and that as you have had relations out of wedlock…to protect everyone's honor, that you and Abarai Renji will wed in no more than thirty days."

Renji froze.

He had to…marry Byakuya? In thirty days?

"That is ridiculous!" exclaimed Byakuya, his reiatsu rising dangerously, "Council is aware that, as a male, there is no chance that I could have impregnated Abarai Renji. That is the only reason for the thirty-day rule!"

Renji's heart was racing and the dizzy, sick feeling he felt that day when he had moved in with Byakuya was returning full force.

"Council reviewed the rules carefully, Lord Byakuya. No mention is made of the rule relating to any risk of pregnancy. The rule simply states that to safeguard the honor of all involved, if the clan leader has out of wedlock relations with his courted, he must either marry the one he courts within thirty days or end the relationship and provide proper compensation to the family…if any."

"Council is making a mockery of its own rules!" Byakuya insisted, "You cannot force me to marry Abarai Renji in thirty days! I…"

"The decision of Council is final, Lord Byakuya," Noriko said, her eyes glinting, "You will marry Abarai Renji in thirty days or you will end this affair. Now…with your permission, Council will be dismissed."

Knowing it would do no good to continue the argument, Byakuya bit back the words he wanted to say and merely nodded. The Council rose as one and left the room. Renji sat in stunned silence and Byakuya did not dare to turn and look at him.

"Come, Renji," he said, forcing his voice to sound more calm than he felt, "We should…go."

Renji rose with him and followed him silently out of the building. They walked back to the Sixth Division and walked inside. Renji followed Byakuya to his desk and sat in a chair beside him, facing him. For a long time, neither spoke. Finally, sensing the level of Renji's discomfort, Byakuya broke the silence.

"I can see that Council's decision has upset you, Renji. I…just want you to know that…I won't be angry if you decide that you can't do this. I would rather let you go than to force you into this."

"I hate this!" Renji exclaimed, "I knew they were up to something, but…thirty days, Byakuya? I can't marry anyone in thirty days! I just got used to the idea of moving in with you. I love you…I really do…but I can't just…marry you like that. How would that even work? I mean…"

"I would need to officially propose, then we would hold a family introduction banquet next week. Then…in thirty days…"

"You do know how crazy this is, right, Byakuya?" Renji said.

Byakuya forced down all of the emotion and calmly assumed the mask that was his protection at times like this.

"Of course it's crazy, Renji. But Council has made its decision…and I did agree to abide by it. If we are not going to marry, then we must not see each other romantically any longer."

Renji looked as though he had been slapped in the face.

"You're…going along with this? But…Byakuya…we fought the other Council. Why aren't you fighting this?"

Byakuya sighed.

"Don't you see, Renji. They did the most intelligent thing they could. They knew I would fight them to defend our right to be together if they acted out as did the last council, clearly denying us our basic rights, but they gathered from our behavior that if push came to shove, it was better to do this than to oppose us openly. They are agreeing to let us be together. They feel they have given something and they feel they have the right to enforce the clan rules. But underneath it all is one simple truth. They knew you were not ready to consider a lifelong commitment. So they pushed you as hard as they could and made you feel as uncomfortable as possible. Do not feel bad about this, Renji. I should never have put you in their path. I hope you can forgive me for that."

Renji sat staring at Byakuya, furious at what the council had done. Anger flared inside…anger he couldn't contain, and unfortunately for Byakuya, that anger was suddenly turned on him.

"You coward! All along we've fought to be together. You said you wanted us to be together on our own terms. You told me that! But you're just giving up! You're letting them win! Why?"

Byakuya stared back at Renji, unable to say anything.

There was no doubt in his mind that he loved Renji. He loved the feisty, brash shinigami that always seemed to end up in trouble of one kind or another. He loved the devoted fukutaichou who brought him tea and wanted to take care of him. He loved the warrior and the passionate lover. But all of it rested on his untamed nature, his stubbornness, his ability to resist being changed by his surroundings. It was this that would be most affected whether they fought the council or not. If they married, Renji would undoubtedly be worn down by the rules and interference of the council in their lives. And if they fought the council, Byakuya knew that this council would do everything they could to make the path difficult for them…but they would do it in a way that was harder to challenge…that pretended to make sense…that would require them to fight the will of the council until they were both worn down. He couldn't do that to Renji. He simply loved Renji too much. He didn't want Renji to have to change.

And he couldn't put it into words.

All he could do was to stare back at Renji until his fukutaichou's anger overtook him and he jumped to his feet and tore out of the office, slamming the door behind him. Byakuya sat for some time, staring at the chair he had occupied and wondered if he had done the right thing. Finally, he realized that there was no point in remaining in the office. He wouldn't be able to focus…and Renji wasn't coming back.

He left and walked back toward the manor, his face a mask of calm and his emotions drawn deep down inside. He felt cold inside again, cold and alone. He wondered if he was meant to be that way. He always seemed to end up alone.

He was so deep in thought that he forgot to mind where he was going. By the time he was aware of his mistake, he found himself far past the manor and nearly to the Squad Two office. He sighed and turned back.

"Byakuya?"

He didn't know whether things had just gotten better or if they were worse. He stopped and turned.

"Yoruichi…what brings you here? Ah…Squad Two…Soi Fon."

Yoruichi nodded.

"We were just visiting a bit before I planned to head home to Karakura Town. So…what brings you this way?"

"Actually, my errand is finished. I was just about to return to the manor," he said quietly, "Would you care to come for dinner before going home?"

She looked at him for a long moment and blinked slowly, her golden eyes curious.

"I don't know," she said noncommittally, "you and Renji probably want privacy."

Byakuya sighed.

"Renji will not be there."

"Oh?" she said, looking into the taichou's dark eyes, "Is he away on a mission? I thought you were awaiting the council's decision."

"Council gave its decision…and Renji and I have decided to part ways."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed.

"Uh-oh…sounds like we need to talk," she said, taking his arm and turning toward the manor.

"Why do we need to talk?" Byakuya asked, "Renji and I are more than capable of making up our own minds."

"Hmm…" Yoruichi said, thinking, "but I sense more to the story. Byakuya, you told me you are in love with Renji. You were talking about someday marrying and having children with him. What was the council's decision that made all of that change?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"They approved the relationship…with a condition."

"This sounds serious. What was the condition?" she asked.

"We would be required to follow rules of courtship…which we have already broken. We would be required to hold a family introduction, abstain from cohabitating and sexual relations…and…to protect his honor, because we have been intimate out of wedlock…I must marry him within thirty days."

Yoruichi stopped in her tracks, staring at Byakuya in disbelief. A moment later, she dissolved into a fit of laughter.

"I fail to see what is so amusing, Shihoin Yoruichi," he said frowning.

It took Yoruichi a moment to collect herself, but finally she regained her composure and continued walking toward the manor.

"I have to admit, that was very crafty. But Byakuya, you could call their bluff. They fully expect you to not go through with this. They're banking everything on it. All you have to do to win is to marry Renji," she said, smiling.

"Renji does not want this. He won't go along with it, Yoruichi. I cannot force Renji to marry me."

Yoruichi turned and placed her hands on Byakuya's shoulders, earning her a dark stare.

"Byakuya…you said Renji doesn't want this. You didn't say you don't. Does that mean you would marry Renji if he was willing?" she asked.

"That is beside the point," he said impatiently, "It doesn't matter what I feel. I can't force him to do something he isn't ready to do."

"Out of curiosity, what did Renji say about all of this?" Yoruichi asked, eyeing Byakuya somewhat suspiciously.

"He said he couldn't marry anyone in thirty days. Then he became angry at me because I refused to simply defy the council…and he stormed out of the office," Byakuya explained.

They had reached the manor gates. They stopped just outside, turning to face one another.

"You say you refused to defy the council?" she queried, "You've defied them plenty of times before. Why the change, Byakuya?"

Byakuya lowered his eyes.

"It would end up in a fight that would just wear us all down. What is the point?" he said quietly, "I don't want them to wear him down. I love Renji the way he is."

"I think the part about you loving him as he is is the only truth in that statement," Yoruichi said, narrowing her eyes, "Byakuya…Renji is right to be angry…but for another reason entirely. You see…you aren't refusing to defy the council to protect Renji. You refuse to defy them, because secretly you wish Renji wanted to marry you…but you won't face the risk of rejection if you let on that you love him that much. Am I right?"

Byakuya stood staring for a long moment, then lowered his eyes. It was all that Yoruichi needed to know she was right…again.


	21. Facing the Beast

**Chapter 21: Facing the Beast**

"So you won't actually come out and say it…will you?" Yoruichi asked, watching as Byakuya's chin lifted and the guarded eyes met hers again.

"I have never been one to waste words where they were not necessary," he said softly, "or where the content would not change anything of the reality. Whatever might hold the words back, Renji has already said…"

"Byakuya," Yoruichi said, stepping closer, "of course he said that. It was a knee-jerk response. Don't confuse that with a thoughtful decision. Renji needs time to think…time to come to terms with the idea. Just as he needed time to think about living with you, he needs time now to think about being permanently bound to you."

"Thirty days is not enough time for Abarai Renji to come to terms with a shotgun wedding to his taichou. That being said, I understand why he wants me to fight the council. But when I fought them before, I fought them wholeheartedly. I cannot do that now. I do not lack the courage to face them down…I lack the desire."

Yoruichi nodded.

"Where you lack courage is in saying this to the one who most needs to hear it."

"Even if I wanted to explain, Renji left. I don't have any idea…"

"Karakura Town," Yoruichi said simply, "You can lie to me, but don't lie to yourself. You can feel his reiatsu from here. Now…do something about it, before it is too late."

He was spared from answering by a hell butterfly that floated up and began its message before it was fully at rest. Soutaichou's voice floated from it and Byakuya could hear the deep concern immediately.

_Kuchiki Byakuya, word has reached us of a crippling attack on our listening post in Hueco Mundo. I have sent Squad 11 and now reinforcements are needed. You must leave immediately. Our forces are being crushed. Your Squad has been notified and will meet you at the rendezvous point. Send word when you reach the listening post. I will have another squad sent in relief when it is possible._

"I take it that dinner is out, then," sighed Yoruichi, "Shall I take word to Renji?"

Byakuya sighed and shook his head.

"As you said, he needs time to consider."

Yoruichi frowned.

"He needs to do his job…and that means watching your back."

Byakuya waved her off.

"At least go in and eat something first. They went to a bit of trouble and Rukia will be eating alone."

"Oh," said Yoruichi, laughing softly, "we can't have that. Fine, I'll have dinner with her…but I will take a message to Renji after that."

Byakuya turned away, but was stopped once more by Yoruichi's voice.

"Be careful, Little Byakuya," she said affectionately, "don't do anything rash before your fukutaichou is there to protect your backside."

He gave her a swift sideways glance and disappeared.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji slipped quietly down the hallway to his room. He could hear Jinta in the dining room still marveling over how little the 'Moocher' had eaten and asking Kisuke if he should check and make sure he didn't have a fever. Renji sighed.

"Little brat," he muttered under his breath.

He was right, though. After fighting hollows all day, he should have had an appetite. But he couldn't think about food at all. It was very unlike him.

All he could think about was the expression on Byakuya's face when he called his taichou a coward. He hadn't even been angry. The look he had given Renji was a look of surprise. It unnerved Renji and left him with the distinct feeling he had missed something critical. He was sure he had. But he was so damned bad at picking up on the subtle nuances of emotional behavior…and being with Byakuya usually made it unnecessary to use that skill anyway. But Byakuya had been opening up and allowing Renji to see more of his responses. And Renji knew that he rarely ever gave anyone that privilege. That was courage in and of itself. That suggested that it wasn't a lack of courage that kept Kuchiki Byakuya from fighting back this time. But no matter how hard he thought about it, the answer evaded Renji.

"Damn! What were you trying to tell me?" he muttered, lying down on the bed without even taking the time to undress.

He stared out the window into the dark, cloudy sky and watched in silence as the rain began to fall. His eyes blinked and stared, blinked and stared as the house grew quiet. Slowly, Abarai Renji drifted off to sleep. Not surprisingly, Byakuya appeared immediately in his dreams.

_Byakuya surveyed the battlefield and frowned in annoyance. He hated sharing a battlefield with the 11th, especially when the 11th arrived first._

"_Not even a proper kidou shield to protect his men," Byakuya muttered._

_He motioned to the third and fourth seats._

"_Go out to the flanks and get a kidou shield over them, so at least we won't lose all of them to projectiles and ceros! I'll protect the main force while you get set."_

"_Hai, Captain!" the two said together, then turned and flash stepped away._

_It wasn't the best situation. If he'd had things his way, the kidou field would have gone up first, held by Renji and by him as the troops started their incantations and prepared their zanpakutous for release…but the battle was in full swing and Byakuya knew he had no one with him capable of keeping the 11th from being annihilated while the shield was set in place. Soul reapers from the 11th were falling in droves and Byakuya was damned if he was going to sacrifice his own men in the same reckless fashion. He ordered them to remain on the flanks and in reserve until the field rose, then flash stepped forward onto a small rise near the front lines._

_He raised Senbonzakura, point down and began his release._

"_Ban Kai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."_

_The great swords rose around him and he felt the eyes of the approaching menos grande turn toward him. He ignored the dead glares and the rising red ceros that fired in his direction. They broke against his petal shield and the ones who sent them roared in annoyance, gathering themselves for another volley. This time half fired their ceros at him and half aimed at the fighters of the 11th where they battled below him. Lowering his head, he split his power between his petal shield and the blades he sent to shield the fighters. He raised his spirit energy and released a kidou blast at the nearest group of menos._

"_Hado #33, Soukatsui!"_

_The blast stunned the group momentarily, giving him time to fire his petal blades at another group of hollows closing in to attack the fighters. Byakuya caught his breath sharply._

"_Where is that kidou shield?" he hissed._

_He turned his head to see what was holding things up and realized that his fourth seat had fallen, taken down by a stray fire blast. The fifth seat was racing to take his place, but was still too far away. Byakuya turned back just in time to raise his petal shield against a mingled blast of ceros that emanated from four of the approaching menos. The force of it pushed him backwards several feet, before he slid to a stop and sent a fire blast so strong it took out all four. But more were closing in…too many more, by far. Byakuya's heart froze. He was about to watch the remaining fighters get enveloped and destroyed with ceros. There was only one thing left that Kuchiki Byakuya could do to protect them._

_Flash stepping toward them, he activated his Senkei. The thousand pink swords rose around the fighters, protecting them as they fought off the ground forces. But the tactic left Byakuya outside the Senkei…and nearly defenseless. The menos were more than happy to make him pay for his brashness. Ceros fired from all directions and Byakuya's flash step took him in an erratic dance between them, passing so close that the heat of them seared his flesh. He knew his fate hung in the balance and that if he was to survive…_

_He felt the kidou shield finally rising and began to recall his Senkei. In a moment of deep relief, Kuchiki Byakuya paused to take a breath…and it threatened to be his last._

_Behind a group of menos, three men stood._

_Tousen…_

_Gin…_

_Aizen…_

_He hadn't expected them to involve themselves in this type of skirmish. They usually didn't. The three were reaching for their weapons. In one breathtaking moment, Kuchiki Byakuya was forced to make a terrible decision._

_Throwing everything into the Senkei, Byakuya flash stepped at blinding speed, trusting his inertia to carry him between ceros and kidou blasts. He wasn't certain which one was his undoing. All Kuchiki Byakuya knew was that something struck him with breathtaking force and he was thrown from his feet. Instantly, he detonated his Senkei, destroying every enemy in a wide swath around the fighters. The three men were forced back, but Kuchiki Byakuya was left facing down four incoming ceros with nothing left but a basic kidou shield. Normally, even this would have been enough, but the prolonged battle had worn him down. The ceros pounded the shield and burned painfully against his skin._

_Rolling to his feet, he flash stepped toward the safety of the defense shield behind him, dodging the heavy volley of kidou and cero that followed, madly trying to bring him down. Just a breath away from safety, he heard a zanpakutou pulled free and turned to meet it. He never saw the second that slashed from somewhere to the side. Instinct carried him the last few steps into the safety of the defense shield, where he turned and met the eyes of Tousen and Gin where they stood, gazing at him through the shield, the latter smiling widely as Kuchiki Byakuya staggered back and started to fall. The last thing he heard was Yoruichi's warning echoing in his mind. _

_"Be careful, Little Byakuya. Don't do anything rash before your fukutaichou is there to protect your backside!"_

That made three times in less than a week that she'd been right. Thankfully, she wasn't there to laugh at him this time.

Abarai Renji sat up in a cold sweat. A moment later, he shot past Yoruichi in the hallway, flash stepping down the hall, shouting for Urahara Kisuke to open the Garganta.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kuchiki Byakuya decided that there wasn't much that tasted fouler than blood in one's mouth. And not being accustomed to falling on the battlefield, being frozen on the ground leaking blood and reiatsu was both foreign and deeply disturbing. He realized suddenly that he had fallen into brush. It wasn't only the thorns tearing at his skin that made this unacceptable, it was also that it did a very good job of hiding him from view. He was barely inside the defense shield and halfway down the wrong side of a hill…and the reiatsu that would guide searchers to his side was exiting his body at an accelerated rate.

Senbonzakura was in no shape to help. He had blocked the last ceros, but shattered as the two swordsmen attacked. The spirit barely stirred when he called its name.

Knowing help would be some time in coming, he focused on lowering his reiatsu flow to conserve it and shifting until he could staunch the flow of blood with his haori. This ensured that he would live longer, but would make him harder to find…if anyone noticed he hadn't returned and actually thought anything of it. There was a price that came with his reputation. If he didn't return right away, they might simply assume he had continued reconnaissance after the battle…what he logically would have done if not lying on the ground bleeding to death.

He listened carefully for the sounds of voices, for the scraping sound of footsteps on the nearby path or any hint of reiatsu from shinigami or zanpakutou. All had gone quiet and still around him. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him and he drifted in and out of consciousness.

At some point, he felt a brush of familiar reiatsu…and he heard a familiar voice calling his name. Someone was searching for him…but he couldn't drag himself far enough out of his reverie to answer. His body stubbornly refused to obey him. He released the hold on his reiatsu and it flared brightly.

He could no longer open his eyes or move at all, but he felt the familiar reiatsu reach him and heard the soothing sound of Renji's voice in the calm darkness. He clung to it, focusing on it so as not to give in to the pain that shot through him as he was lifted and moved. He was set down again a short time later and healing light flared around him.

He relinquished control and faded out again. He drifted in and out of consciousness, vacillating between life and death as healing touches pulled him back time and time again from the edge of that compelling precipice. He wasn't afraid of dying. He had looked it in the face more than once…but he did not desire it. So when the familiar voice of his fukutaichou rose up in his mind and urged him to return, he reached out for that voice. It grew a little closer each time.

At some point, he began to surface and came to the realization that his surroundings had changed. Even not being able to open his eyes, he sensed the white walls of the Fourth Division. He found it strange that he did not remember being returned to the Seireitei. Voices and reiatsu came and went. He sensed Rukia's presence several times and Yoruichi's, as well as Hanatorou's and Unohana taichou's. The most constant presence and voice was Renji's…but Byakuya wasn't sure if it could really be him. Some part of him remembered Renji being furious about something and leaving him in the Squad Six office.

Slowly, he began to regain the use of his eyes. At first, everything was fuzzy and surreal, but slowly the faces and voices connected in his mind and he was seeing and hearing again.

_I'm sorry I left like I did. I don't know why I got so angry at you. I guess I just couldn't understand why you wouldn't fight the council on their decision. I still don't understand, but I want you to tell me. Maybe I'm being stupid, not being able to figure it out, but it just isn't making sense to me. But I'll sit still and listen to you. You just have to talk to me, Taichou._

He did try.

His lips moved, but he couldn't seem to get beyond Renji's name before feeling exhaustion sweeping through him and surrendering again to the darkness. Still, each time awareness returned, it became easier and easier to respond. And one morning, he heard the sound of birds chirping outside the window and sat up to look at them. The sudden movement startled a still sleeping Renji into wakefulness and he tumbled off of his chair, landing on the floor in a confused and cursing heap.

"Really Renji," Byakuya said, blinking to clear his vision, "must you start the day by making so much noise?"

Renji was staring and his expression read first disbelief, then relief, then extreme joy. Kuchiki Byakuya suddenly found himself in Abarai Renji's warm embrace, his face cupped in gentle hands and his mouth pleasured with a flurry of kisses. Although more than a little bit flustered and confused, Byakuya allowed this and even welcomed it, wrapping his arms around his ecstatic fukutaichou and resting a weary head on his shoulder. He knew they still had much to iron out, but it was a source of both comfort and relief to have Renji in his arms again.


	22. A Proposal and Courtship

**Chapter 22: A Proposal and Courtship**

One of the good things, Byakuya decided, that came out of his brush with death was the return of Abarai Renji to his errant taichou's side. And the long recuperation meant that the Council of Elders was forced to grant them an extension…one more month for him to convince Abarai Renji to take his hand in marriage. Because in having lain on the ground in a pool of his own blood, wondering if it was the end of his days, Kuchiki Byakuya had become somewhat wiser. He now made no pretense within himself of not desiring married life with Renji. And Renji had reached the conclusion that he would at least give the idea of marriage some thought. But there were issues yet to be resolved, the first of which Abarai Renji brought unmercifully down on Byakuya's aching head as soon as he was seeing straight again.

"What the hell were you thinking, going onto that battlefield with your back unguarded?" Renji said angrily, "You knew where I was…"

"I was called away suddenly. It was an emergency…and I don't need…"

"I was a hell butterfly away and you knew it! Damn it, Taichou!"

Byakuya did not miss the fact that although they were alone, Renji was continuing to use his title. However, he was forgetting entirely just who was taichou. Byakuya couldn't allow that to continue.

"It was a command decision," he said with cold finality…in a voice he was sure would silence Renji's tirade.

But his fukutaichou was caught up in anger, anger that made the brown eyes flare dangerously, that made his hair seem like tendrils of fire and kept him from reigning in his burgeoning temper. Byakuya's eyes widened as the rage confronting him refused to be quelled and the tirade continued.

"It wasn't a command decision, Taichou, it was an emotional one!" Renji went on heedlessly, "And it was stupid…and careless!"

Kuchiki Byakuya was not accustomed to being referred to as either one. His eyes darkened dangerously and the reiatsu rose around them.

"Abarai fukutaichou, I do not make emotional decisions," he said sternly, his spiritual pressure rising dangerously.

"No!" Renji said sharply, "You don't. You see, as your fukutaichou, I know that! I also know that something made you react this time. You made a stupid mistake you never would have made if you weren't daydreaming about some fantasy of marrying me!"

Byakuya stared back at him, refusing to react to the obvious taunt.

"It took me a while to figure it out. You know, I'm not all that smart, but I can figure things out given time. I asked myself over and over why you wouldn't defy the council, why you wouldn't fight for our right to be together the way we want to. It took a lot of mental twisting, but I finally realized. You didn't want to fight them. Not because they intimidated you or that you were afraid to oppose them. You just wanted to marry me. Then, I had to ask myself why you wouldn't just tell me that, you know? Why wouldn't you come to me and tell me that this was how you wanted things to be? And I wondered, Taichou, why you would want to be forced to marry me so quickly. Finally, I remembered something you said…and I realized that I knew the answer."

He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked into the frighteningly angry gray eyes and bore the torrent of reiatsu that pressed in on him.

"Taichou, when we were in the living world, you told me that your loss of Hisana made you realize that once you understand that something makes your life better, you should embrace it. I know you love living with me. I love living with you, too. But I don't know if I'm ready to marry you. And I know now that that's what you want. You've made no secret of wanting me to stay with you permanently, but this is binding ourselves together for the rest of our lives. Your situation with Hisana made you ready to embrace that future when the council gave its decision, but I didn't have that experience to urge me forward. I needed time to think about it…and you did try to give me that time. But when the council gave us that thirty days, you stopped resisting. I…imagine, understanding how you feel that maybe I shouldn't have pushed you to fight them."

Byakuya's reiatsu was beginning to calm, and Renji noticed fatigue coming into his eyes.

"I won't push you to fight them…and after this…I don't know that I'll resist either."

A look of confusion registered on Byakuya's face, then the eyes grew tired again and the emotion faded.

"When I realized what had happened to you…when I felt your reiatsu draining away like that, it was, for me, like what losing Hisana was for you. When I thought that you were going to die, I realized what you were really saying before. You were ready to spend your life with me, to get married, to settle down and spend the rest of your life with me, even before the council issued their ultimatum. And knowing how awful it would feel to waste any more time struggling against that, I will go ahead with this. I don't know that I'm all that ready…but I would rather do that than let you distract yourself into making another fatal mistake like the one you made…ever again, Taichou."

Kuchiki Byakuya had no idea how to respond to that. He was even more taken aback when Renji took his hand and brought it to his lips. He watched silently, his reiatsu simmering as his mind spun and he tried to decide how to respond. But Renji did the unthinkable and once again, took the lead from him.

"Byakuya, will you marry me?" he asked, his voice calm now.

The deep gray eyes stared into the brown for a long moment.

"To save me from my stupidity and carelessness?" he asked quietly, "Renji, you know I won't…"

Warm lips stopped the words before he could release them.

"I asked you a question," he said, his face close to his taichou's, "Will you marry me?"

Byakuya was taken with an incredible desire to accept. But deep down, guilt nagged at him for putting Renji in such a position. He couldn't allow Renji to do this just to save him from himself. He didn't figure that he needed the protection. He hadn't killed himself yet.

"I don't need you to protect me on the battlefield," he said coldly, "and I don't need to force you into a marriage you don't want. Get out, Renji. Just go."

Byakuya ached inwardly at the sight of the impact of his words, but surprisingly the emotion disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced. Kuchiki Byakuya had his breath taken away as Abarai Renji broke every rule at once, gripping Byakuya by the shoulders and bringing a very angry face close to his.

"You say that to whoever else you want to, Kuchiki taichou, but don't fucking say that to me! You can convince the rest of the world that you are a cold-hearted bastard that doesn't need anyone and I guarantee you, you're good enough at acting the part so that they'll believe you. But don't think for one minute that _I_ don't know better. I may not be as smart as you, but I'm not that much of an idiot! I don't expect you to ever say what you really feel…or to admit how much you want this marriage to go forward, so I won't even ask, but do me a favor and even if you won't say it, don't bother to deny it. I'm not falling for it."

He got up and walked to the door. He paused there for a moment, looking back with a still angry expression.

"And I will take your answer to mean that you accept my proposal."

He turned and disappeared out the door, not allowing his stunned taichou to say another word. And Kuchiki Byakuya was surprised again to feel the smile that found its way onto his face.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya ignored the lingering aches in his body and walked silently out of the healing center, with Renji at his side, and followed closely by a severe looking council appointee whose assignment was to carefully protect Abarai Renji's honor as the courtship moved forward. Although not pleased with the situation, Byakuya waited in the garden, enjoying a cup of hot green tea as Renji vacated his belongings from their room, moving them to one in the opposite wing. The attendant, a careworn and stern old woman named Elli, took a room somewhere in the middle, and calmly announced that if any rules were broken, the courtship was over.

Byakuya knew well all of the rules of courtship. He had had to follow them carefully when courting Hisana for much the same reason as he followed them now. He wouldn't do anything to threaten the courtship and even though Renji was less clear about the rules, he deferred carefully to his taichou for guidance, so as not to make even the smallest mistake.

Any deviation would place them outside the rules and invalidate the courtship approval.

It wasn't a terrible problem while Byakuya was recuperating, but once his focus shifted away from recovery, he rediscovered just how attractive Renji was.

He stole several long glances as they walked the trail to their favorite waterfall, hand in hand and followed closely by their attendant. The last time, Renji's eye caught his and his fukutaichou gave him a quick wink. Beneath his breast, Kuchiki Byakuya's heart fluttered, but he was careful not to let the impact show in his calm expression. His hand tightened slightly on Renji's, however and he didn't miss the grin that found its way onto Renji's face as he realized that he was getting to his taichou. After that, Renji took great joy in indulging in carefully executed flirtations. At first, Byakuya was able to calmly ignore them, or at least to pretend to ignore them. But soon, he found himself noticing everything…and wanting Renji with renewed passion.

"I think this is a good place," Byakuya said, gesturing to the grass beneath a sakura tree near the cliff edge.

Renji nodded and stood next to the attendant as Byakuya spread a blanket on the ground and sat next to Renji. Elli sat nearby, watching carefully as the noble laid out the meal they had brought with them, then nodded at Renji, inviting him to begin.

The gentle exchange that followed, the sharing of the meal began quite simply, but blossomed into something beautiful and, Byakuya thought, sensual. They were allowed, as they ate to exchange words, to hold hands and Byakuya was allowed to hold or kiss Renji's hand. They were also, Byakuya explained, allowed to share bites of their meal. Renji smiled widely and offered his intended a ripe strawberry. In a very gentlemanly fashion, Kuchiki Byakuya leaned forward and accepted it from Renji, not allowing his lips to touch the extended fingertips. Now, it was Renji's turn to feel a bit giddy, watching raptly as the powerful Kuchiki Byakuya accepted the food from his hand in such an unusually docile fashion. It was, for Renji, like feeding a fire-breathing dragon. He stared silently as Byakuya enjoyed what he had been given, then went on to tease Renji rather shamelessly with his eyes, while continuing to eat. Their attendant watched them closely, but Byakuya kept them carefully within the boundaries, although he did return Renji's earlier attempts at flirtation with his own…and by the time they bade each other good-night, both had an equally difficult time settling for a mere kiss on the cheek and another placed gently by Byakuya upon Renji's palm.

And neither one could sleep after that. Each lay awake, throbbing warmly with desire for the other, restless with longing, and forced to find other ways to relieve the sexual tension. They were pleased to note that their poor attendant wouldn't get any more sleep than they would. The reiatsu sparked in the very air around the manor.

The next morning, Kuchiki Byakuya rose early and showered thoroughly to remove any traces of the intense dreams about Abarai Renji that had plagued him all night. He dressed quickly and went out to the garden, still shaking the water droplets from his hair. As he did so, he became very aware that Renji, Rukia and Elli were all waiting at the table and Renji was staring at Byakuya with eyes that hungered for much more than food. Byakuya bowed his head slightly as he reached the table and offered the expected greeting.

"Good morning, Renji. I trust you slept well?"

Renji's eyes sparked, deliciously, Byakuya thought, with aggression and his answer was emitted in almost a growl.

"I slept horribly. I think you know that, Taichou."

"Renji, we are in my home. You may call me by name here," Byakuya corrected him patiently.

"A thousand pardons…Byakuya-sama," he said, releasing the high honorific in an almost biting tone.

Rukia giggled madly.

"Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today, eh Renji?" she laughed.

"Shut up!" he growled irritably, "Just let's get this over with so we can go to work already."

Byakuya said nothing more, but focused on eating, while stealing glances at his fukutaichou and marveling at just how attractive Renji was when somewhat angered. Elli was watching him closely as well…and her eyes looked a bit too triumphant. It was enough to warn Byakuya to do what we could to ease his fukutaichou's discomfort before he made a mistake that would be their undoing.

"Come Renji," he said, rising quickly and leaving his food nearly untouched, "we should go."

Byakuya saw a brief shimmer of gratitude in Renji's eyes as they turned away from the table and set out for the Squad Six office with their attendant still in tow. She followed them as far as the Kuchiki Council Hall, then broke off, telling them that she would return when work hours ended.

Relieved to be free of the excess baggage, Renji's step became more its normal jaunty self and Byakuya could feel his fukutaichou's reiatsu calm somewhat. His eyes flitted from place to place and he called out greetings to his friends that passed them, but all the while, his eyes kept straying to his tacihou's hair that floated lightly on the breeze, to the gloved hands that peeked out from his sleeves and the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu wrapped so warmly around the lovely pale skin at Byakuya's throat.

The feeling he got from this so overwhelmed him that as they stepped inside the empty Squad Six office and closed the door, he turned and pushed Byakuya back against the door, locking their bodies tightly together and forcing a hot, impatient tongue into his taichou's mouth. It took several long minutes for Byakuya to break free of his fukutaichou's mouth and the hands that slipped beneath his clothes, reaching downward longingly.

"Renji," he said breathlessly, "it isn't safe for us to do this. They will have thought of this. I miss being with you…I do…but I don't want to get impatient and ruin everything now."

Renji stared into the dark, smoldering eyes for a long moment, then pulled away and sat down at his desk, picking up a stack of papers and calmly beginning to sort them. Byakuya remained leaned against the door, his body still trembling slightly from the impact of Renji's amorous kisses and touches.

"You going to stand there all day staring at me or are you going to get something done today, Taichou?" Renji asked without looking up.

Byakuya released a shaky sigh and took his place at his desk. A few minutes later, Renji placed a cup of hot green tea at his elbow and leaned down to kiss him on a still flushed cheek.

"Sorry about before, Taichou," he said softly, "I couldn't help it. You're just too damned cute and I can't think of anything but how much I want to be in bed with you, kissing both of us breathless and fucking the hell out of you."

Stunned by his fukutaichou's admission, Byakuya merely nodded and calmly accepted the tea.

But he kept hearing those words over and over in his mind all day long. He heard them as they walked back to the manor with their attendant in tow, while they shared a quiet dinner in the garden, and all through that night as he lay awake in his bed, aching madly for his fukutaichou's touch. He finally relieved the tension with his own touches, which did offer him some relief, but left him far from satisfied.

The wedding was still several weeks away and Byakuya found himself wondering how long it would be before Council decided it was time to end the charade and tried to end the courtship forcibly.

He didn't have to wait long. The very next day, Elli embarked on a very serious attempt to undo them.


	23. Night Terror

**Chapter 23: Night Terror**

Byakuya swallowed the last of the green tea and set his cup on the nightstand, grateful for the drowsiness that suggested he might enjoy his first good night's sleep in several days. Unfortunately, it wasn't a release of the forces that had brought on the insomnia, but more a wearing down…the reaching of a point where the need for rest overtook the forces preventing it. In any case, he decided that he would simply be content with not lying awake all night, thinking of Renji…of those words, of the way he kept staring every time they were in the same room together. It had worsened his inability to sleep. Only reaching a state of exhaustion allowed him to sleep at all.

His eyes closed and he felt reality fall away as he entered a state of deep relaxation, a surrender of the spirit to sleep. And as he drifted, Kuchiki Byakuya began to dream.

_He lay in his bed, gazing out at the last of the stars…and as he did, a dark, familiar shape appeared in the doorway. The garden doors slid shut and he felt the placing of a privacy seal on the room. Soft footsteps sounded as the dark figure crept to his bedside and looked down into his widened eyes. In some part of his mind, a warning sounded…but it was a dream. It was safe here to think about being with Renji. He looked up into Renji's brown eyes…and suddenly he knew that he wasn't dreaming. The eyes that met his were feral and filled with uncontrolled lust. He wasn't dreaming and he was trapped in something more akin to a nightmare._

_His flash step carried him off of the bed as Renji dropped down where he had been. He raised his spiritual pressure warningly as Renji's head lifted and the furious brown eyes flashed with promises of mayhem._

"_Renji?" he whispered, staring into the malevolent eyes, "Renji, what are you doing?"_

_The redhead answered with a flash step that rivaled his own and a viselike grip that latched onto the noble and forced him back into the wall. Only his own instinctive flash step protected him, leaving behind an afterimage as he gained the doors and burst through them into the gardens. He felt raised reiatsu at his back and knew that Renji followed and knew also that he needed space if they were going to fight. He flash stepped at top speed now, but felt his fukutaichou closing the distance at a rate Yoruichi could not have matched. He wondered if he had made a mistake. Renji couldn't be that fast. Could it be that he still dreamed?_

_He raced down the forest trail, heading toward the cliff where the waterfall rained down into the large lake…and the large meadow beyond. This was where he would turn. But Renji, or what seemed to be Renji was closing the distance so swiftly, Byakuya wasn't sure he could reach the open field before the fighting commenced. He felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder and knew his time had run out. Turning, he fired a blast of kido into the body that sought to bring his down. Blue fire flashed between them and the other did pause…long enough for Byakuya to break free and flash step away, but now he felt a shock of realization. Although he had lowered his power so as not to kill Renji, the kido blast had barely affected him at all!_

_He wondered again if he could still be dreaming and sent his senses in all directions. Everything seemed real…from the crispness of the night air, to the sweet smell of sakura blossoms. He could hear the rush of water as he threw himself over the cliff and flash stepped over the water and into the field beyond. He came to a stop, realizing that he had lost all sense of where Renji was. He reached out with his senses and felt nothing…no hint of reiatsu to warn him. He stood in the moonlit meadow, panting softly, his breath freezing in the air that seemed to grow colder by the second. He forced his breathing to slow and listened deeply._

_Even so, he was nearly taken off his feet when a dark shape burst out from the cover of the field's long grasses, charging at him from the side and nearly bringing him down. He fired another blast of kido and flash stepped away, his eyes still on the one who followed. It could not be Renji. It could not be._

_Suddenly, flashes of light rose up around him and images of Renji began to appear all around him, forming a wide circle, then moving inward. He flash stepped into the air, attempting to break free by passing over them, but felt his heart quicken as hands took hold of him and brought him roughly to the ground. He looked up at Renji's maddened eyes, then watched in dismay as the form of Renji crumbled and was replaced by something monstrous. It forced him down and held him there, bringing its face close to his._

"_This is a warning. End your defiance or face the consequences!"_

_A clawed hand shot forth and drove itself into his unprotected abdomen, sending a spray of blood outward and forcing a deep gasp of pain to break from his open mouth. The creature's feral eyes held his as the clawed hand was pulled away. This time he couldn't hold back a scream of pain. The creature released him and he felt himself falling._

Byakuya awoke with a start and found himself alone in his room. He was sweating and shaky, his hands still clenching the blankets and his heart was still pounding madly in his chest. He wasn't even certain if he was awake or if it was another dream. But voices floating in from the garden led him to the conclusion that the horrid dream had, in fact ended.

Byakuya started to rise, but felt the sudden onset of deep chills and intense nausea. He lay still for a moment, trying to remember if he had awakened during the night, but was unable to conjure any recollection beyond having a cup of green tea as he did every night, then falling asleep very quickly, considering his recent bout of insomnia and ending up trapped in that awful dream. It left him feeling not only ill, but suspicious. Sensing that manipulation could be a possibility, he forced himself out of bed and dressed, then went to open the doors into the gardens. As the doors opened, the cool air of morning touched his fevered skin and a hard shiver ran down his spine. He could see Rukia and Renji already in the garden patio, beginning breakfast.

Suddenly, his insides clenched and the thought of eating made his stomach turn. He bowed his head for a moment, taking a few shallow breaths and trying to collect himself. He heard Renji say his name in an odd, distant echo and then he felt himself falling. Strong arms seemed to come from nowhere to catch him and sweep him off his feet. He was carried back into his room and placed back in his bed with a quick kiss on the mouth and an admonition to rest.

Everything went dark and quiet for a time, then someone was lifting him, bringing hot tea to his lips. Even as the steam wafted up and struck his senses, he felt a sharp twinge of panic and tried to push the tea away.

"Come on, Byakuya," Renji's voice said, still echoing strangely, "How are you going to get well if you don't take care of yourself? Just take a sip or two, okay?"

Even delirious and mind fogged, Byakuya knew better than to let it even touch his lips. Furious at the deception, he struck out, knocking the cup from Renji's hand. Some kind of commotion broke out in the room. Through the fogginess that had settled over his mind, he heard raised voices, though he couldn't understand what exactly was being said. Renji had left his side and Byakuya tried to locate his reiatsu, but it was no longer in the room. He did feel a strong presence. The other voices disappeared, but one remained beside him and, at some point, a small vial of liquid was emptied into his mouth. His senses slowly began to clear. The strange reiatsu disappeared and he sensed Rukia at his bedside.

"…you know Renji didn't do anything," she was saying in a hushed voice, "as soon as you wake up, you'll tell them that and we can get him released. There is no way Renji would have done anything to hurt you. We all know that, Nii-sama. And we also all know who would. Don't worry, we will watch her carefully from now on."

When his eyes opened again, he found himself in the healing center, uncharacteristically alone. He sat up slowly, trying to remember what had happened that resulted in his being there and could remember nothing but something odd about the tea he was offered and a low voice telling him that what was being done was only necessary given his defiance. He was furious, but he knew to be cautious. The new Council was showing its teeth and Kuchiki Byakuya knew well to be prepared for more trouble.

The door opened and Unohana Taichou entered. Noting he was awake, she smiled.

"Kuchiki taichou, it is good to see you awake and looking so much better. I am glad also to find a time we could speak privately. I was certain you would be interested in your test results."

Byakuya simply nodded his acquiescence.

"At first glance, we were convinced that you were suffering from a serious bout of flu, but we found traces of poison in your tea."

"I remembered something odd about tea I was given," he said quietly.

He carefully avoided mentioning the warning.

"There are interesting facts about this poison that I want to share with you," she said, sitting down at his side, "First, this poison is not generally fatal, but can be if given in large enough doses. Very few physicians will even know to look for it, and even fewer can identify it. It causes vivid hallucinations and mild to severe flu symptoms, but can cause death if great amounts are given. In cases where it is used as a poison, it is often concealed with the use of a second drug that erases the markers of this one. I theorize that this was used in your case…but the amount used was too small, and it left traces behind that I was able to identify."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes.

"I remember a small vial of liquid being given to me, then things clearing afterwards. I thought it was a healer…but I couldn't be certain of anything," he explained.

Unohana nodded.

"All of this tells me that someone wanted to make you ill for some reason, but did not want you to die. I don't know if you know this, but Abarai Renji was arrested. An attendant at the manor told authorities that Renji always makes your tea…and traces of this drug and two others were found in cups you used. There was this drug, the one to hide it and undo its effects. And there was a third."

She stopped for a moment, blinking slowly and bowing her head slightly.

"The third was a powerful aphrodisiac…which is why they were so quick to believe that it was Renji."

"Yet, you do not believe this…why?" he asked quietly.

Unohana sighed.

"I know that things have been difficult for you and Renji as of late, but no one is going to convince me that Renji would ever drug and sexually assault you. And unbeknownst to the ones who are responsible, I sensed reiatsu traces on the cups that someone attempted to hide, Kuchiki taichou. I spoke to you privately, because before any moves are taken to stop the one responsible, we need clear evidence of this one's foul intent. What I have so far is simply not conclusive enough to prove who and why. You need to be very cautious."

Byakuya nodded.

"Arigato, Unohana taichou. You can be certain, they will not be able to do something like this again."

"I don't think they will strike at you again," Unohana said softly, "Their behavior suggests that they toy with you, but eventually, they will strike in earnest…and when they do, you will not be the target. Remember that they are not motivated to kill you. I must give you one more warning. The woman who attends you is not what she seems. She is an old woman, but she is also a powerful shinigami. Be careful…and keep Renji close to you."

Byakuya nodded.

"I am aware of the power she conceals," he acknowledged, "and I will be wary."

Unohana taichou smiled.

"It seems we are meeting far too frequently, Kuchiki Taichou," she said softly, "I do hope that the next time we cross paths it will be for a happier occasion."

"Then I am to be discharged?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, turning away, "I imagine you'll want to head to the Repentance Center to collect Renji. Rukia said that he was beside himself with worry for you, so I told her to let him know that you are fine."

"Arigato, Unohana taichou…for your healing and your insight."

Byakuya slipped into the shihakushou Rukia had left for him and made his way to the front lobby. He barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes when he spotted Elli waiting in the lobby. She frowned at him.

"If you are finished here," she said, "I am to escort you to the Council Hall for a special session."

Byakuya turned and raised his spiritual pressure menacingly.

"Return to them and tell them that I will meet with them tomorrow," he said with finality, "I have pressing matters to attend to and no time for games."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and flash stepped away. He arrived at the Repentance Center a short time later and strode past the guards, ignoring their pleas for him to stop. He paused for only a moment to deprive one of the guards of his keys, then moved down the cellblock and quickly located Renji locked up in one of the cells. He unlocked and opened the cell, freeing Renji as the security squad ran into the hallway behind him. The head guard stepped forward, trembling under the furious weight of Byakuya's glare.

"Kuchiki taichou, Abarai Renji is being held for questioning in the attack on you."

"I am aware of why Abarai Renji was arrested…and you are to release him at once. He had nothing to do with the poisoning. It happened to me, and I demand that all charges be dropped at once!"

"But sir, there are release procedures…"

"I do not care about procedure. Abarai Renji will not spend another minute in this cellblock. He is coming with me. You may send any paperwork to the Squad Six Headquarters."

He turned to a very startled looking Abarai Renji.

"Come, Abarai fukutaichou, you needn't remain here any longer."

Renji broke into a wide grin and strode past the stunned guards and out of the Repentance Center with Byakuya at his side. They returned to the manor at flash step speed and arrived just as dinner was being served. Renji groaned, spotting Elli sitting at the table with an annoyed looking Rukia. The attendant regarded them with a characteristic frown as they sat down.

"Council will meet in the morning," she said shortly.

Byakuya nodded.

"Renji and I will be there."

Abarai Renji felt a chill run down his spine at the look she gave Byakuya in return. The meal was eaten in near silence, then Rukia bade them good-night and slipped away to her room.

Byakuya took Renji's hand and the two started down the trail to the waterfall. They felt Elli's presence behind them, but she kept a respectful distance.

"Byakuya," Renji said quietly, "Are you all right? I mean…you were really out of it after you collapsed. I was worried."

"I am fine, Renji," he assured his fukutaichou, "they didn't intend to kill me. They only sought to intimidate me…and it did not work."

"Yeah…I noticed. If we hadn't been in the Repentance Center, I think your spiritual pressure would have crushed everything within a hundred miles. Arigato…for coming to get me."

He turned and stopped, surprising Renji with a very warm and pleasant kiss. Both felt the flare of Elli's reiatsu behind them…and completely ignored it.

"You are welcome, Renji," he replied, turning to continue down the path.

"Uh…isn't that…against the rules?" asked Renji, turning to follow.

"Yes, Abarai, it is…but so is trying to frame my intended of attempted assault. In another few kisses, I think we'll be even."

They reached the waterfall a few minutes later and shared more than a few kisses under the full moon. Renji gazed into the moonlit eyes of his taichou, reeling a bit under the dizzying weight of his flaring reiatsu and the seething tongue that so lovingly curled around his. He pulled back, panting softly and holding on to Byakuya's arm to steady himself.

"Ah…hah, Byakuya…we'd better stop. You know, I get that you're pissed at them, but…should we really…"

The deep gray eyes transfixed him, then his head bowed slightly and he brought his lips close to Renji's ear. His heated breath sent a shiver down Renji's spine.

"Forgive me, Renji," he whispered into Renji's ear, "but as you said…you're just too damned cute and I can't think of anything but how much I want to be in bed with you, kissing both of us breathless and fucking the hell out of you."

Renji froze. He couldn't remember that pretty mouth ever saying anything like that…ever…

"Shit, Taichou," he said, his mind still spinning and his cock twitching painfully, "They _really_ must have pissed you off!"

"Yes, Renji, they did," he said softly, "and tomorrow they are going to pay for their foolishness."

But first they had to get through one more night.


	24. Passion's Fire

**Chapter 24: Passion's Fire**

"Not that I question your judgment or anything, Taichou, but do you really think this is necessary?" Renji asked as Byakuya placed the powerful kidou barrier around his room.

Byakuya frowned in annoyance.

"They didn't hesitate to attack me in my own home, so I doubt they'll pull their punches with you, fukutaichou. And they will expect that since we are meeting them tomorrow, we may lower our guard, thinking them unlikely to try anything with that meeting in the offing."

"So why not just kick Elli out of here and tell them all to go fuck themselves?" Renji asked matter-of-factly.

"Tempting," Byakuya noted with something dangerously close to a wry smile, "but that would escalate things even more. I want to prevent them from trying anything tonight, not goad them into it. Finesse, Renji. There is a time for out and out defiance, but there is also a time for caution and restraint."

"Not my area of expertise, Taichou," Renji observed.

"That is why you need me," Byakuya replied, stepping back to examine his work, "Now nothing should be able to pass through without setting off the alarms. And if anything touches it, I will wake and be here in an instant. Try to get some sleep, Renji. That meeting will be taxing, I imagine."

"Yeah, right. As if sleep will be possible after spending an hour up there at the waterfall, in the moonlight, making out with you until I could barely stand. Taichou, I'm so…"

"Go to bed, Abarai. We will feed that desire soon enough," Byakuya said firmly.

"Taichou, show a little mercy, here!" Renji complained, "You can't just…"

"No more arguments," Byakuya said, turning away, "I'm sure you can manage yourself for one more night."

Renji blinked.

"Meaning…tomorrow you're ending this?" he asked, a little breathless at the thought of sharing Byakuya's bed again so soon.

Now he really wouldn't be able to sleep.

"Yes, Renji, tomorrow I am ending this," he said with finality.

"Kami, Taichou," Renji said, his eyes betraying the restrained desire, "you'd better not be teasing me. I don't think that I could take it if you were!"

"Sleep, Renji," he admonished the redhead gently, "morning will come all too soon."

"Not soon enough for me, Taichou," Renji said, stepping into the room, "I don't know about you…but I can't tear my mind away from the thought of making love to you until neither of us can stand!"

Byakuya's heart skipped and a dizzy feeling passed through him. He turned away quickly, but Renji didn't miss the smile that broke out before he could think to conceal it.

Alone in his room, Renji rested on his bed, trying to ignore the two warring sensations that kept him from falling asleep. The first was anxiety over what the Kuchiki Council could be planning. The kidou shield around his room was clear evidence of Byakuya's belief that the worst was not over. He wasn't sure he agreed with his taichou's decision for them to return to their respective rooms in order to stave off a confrontation. On the one hand, it did seem prudent to try to keep the status quo until the meeting, but despite the heavy resonance of Byakuya's power surrounding him, he felt strangely vulnerable, as if there was something that neither he nor Byakuya had considered, and that whatever it was, it would come back to haunt them.

He sighed, shifting to get more comfortable…but there was no comfort between the anxiety of waiting for the Kuchiki Council to make a move and managing his aching desire to be close to his taichou. Even if he escaped his worries about the council, he still felt the hot pressure of Byakuya's mouth on his, the warmth of his taichou's body wrapped around his. He couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful it felt, standing beneath the full moon, looking into the dark gray eyes, his face teased by strands of swirling black hair, of being held in those powerful arms and devoured by the sweetest lips and mouth he had ever tasted. How in kami's name was he supposed to fall asleep?

Despite feeling as though he was doomed to spend the entire night wide awake, he gradually felt drowsiness begin to steal over him. He sighed softly in relief. One last night. One last night and he would be able to share Byakuya's bed again. One last night and he would be able to peel away the clothing that separated them and curl around that beautiful body…bury himself in it…and forget everything else. Renji's eyes blinked closed and he drifted off still thinking about Byakuya.

Some time later, the door to the closet slid softly open and a dark form crept out. He walked silently to Renji's bed and leaned over him, touching a hand to the redhead's forehead and sending him into a deeper state of sleep, then restraining him on the bed with kidou. He moved toward the doorway and brightened and dimmed the lights three times in quick succession. He waited until the scent of smoke wafted across his senses, then took a deep breath and burst through the kidou barrier. The effect was instant. The manor alarms began to wail and he felt the heavy reiatsu of the Squad Six taichou bearing down on him. He gained the gardens and turned toward the entry gate, but slid to a stop as a dark form rose up in front of him. He drew his weapon, but upon looking more closely, lowered it, sighing in relief.

"Damn, Elli, it's you! I was worried it was him. Your kidou spell worked perfectly. They never knew I was in the room."

"Is he restrained?"

"Yeah. I made sure he…"

He stopped mid-sentence as he was cut nearly in two by the old woman's zanpakutou He stared into her cold eyes in disbelief as he dropped to the ground at her feet and everything went black.

Elli watched until she was sure the youth was dead, then turned and flash stepped toward the gardens.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya stood alone at the edge of the cliff beside the waterfall, bathed in blue moonlight and gazing blindly down to where the rushing water disappeared into the darkness below him. His senses remained sharply focused and ready to react to any danger, but his thoughts spun wildly.

What will they do? To what lengths will they go? How do I end this when no matter what I do, I meet with their intolerance? What will be enough that they won't simply say the words I wish to hear, but that they will accept that I am not going to give this up?

_This council differs from the last in its approach, but not in its intent. Rather than using brute strength, they work beneath a façade of cooperation. They engage in mind games and intimidation, but things are escalating. They will become violent, but they will not try to kill me. At some point, they will come after Renji. They will use stealth and carefully cover their tracks so that they can deny having done it. They are determined to have their way, but they are trying to avoid a head-on confrontation with me, perhaps because neither side will gain from it. It will only weaken our clan in the eyes of the others. I have to keep him close to me. They will have realized that nothing they do will keep me from being with Renji. When they do, they will take the only action that would take that decision completely out of my hands. They will try to kill him._

The thought left him chilled and uneasy. But there was little he could do until they made their move. He had to watch carefully and whatever they did, he had to be prepared to stop them.

His head lifted and his eyes fastened intently on the moon above him. As his mind continued to spin, his sharp senses picked up the scent of something burning nearby. In the distance, the house alarms began to sound. Catching his breath sharply, Kuchiki Byakuya turned and flash stepped back toward the manor.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji came awake to the shrill sound of the house alarms and the choking smell of smoke. He started to sit up, but quickly realized that his wrists and ankles had been bound to the bedposts with kidou. He caught his breath in surprise, then released it, coughing heavily as the smoke quickly thickened around him.

"Damn!" he shouted, trying to pull free.

He felt the intensity of the heat increasing steadily as the fire roared through the wing and closed in on the room where he lay trapped. It was spreading too quickly. He twisted and tried sending his own kidou into the restraints, but neither seemed to make any difference. Coughing heavily and feeling dizziness setting in, he threw his weight sideways, forcing the bed to slide very slightly in the direction of the door that opened into the gardens. He felt the approach of Byakuya's reiatsu and breathed a soft sigh of relief. Gathering himself, he called out to his taichou.

"Byakuya!"

The heat was searing his skin now, making it painful to continue to draw breath. The smoke added to his discomfort, tainting each breath he was able to take. He knew he wouldn't last much longer.

He felt Byakuya's power flare and suddenly everything around Renji exploded in a sea of pink petal blades. The room and its entire contents disintegrated under the shattering force of the blades, giving the fire nothing left to burn. The kidou restraining Renji broke as well and he crawled toward the gardens as the petals continued to swirl around him, protecting him from the flaming debris and the heat that had been so oppressive. The spinning petals cleared the air around him and he took a deep breath and coughed again, his body trying to force the offending smoke from his lungs.

Strong arms wrapped around him and dragged him the rest of the way out of the room. They held him tightly against Byakuya and his taichou's words began to break through.

"Are you all right, Renji?"

He blinked to clear his eyes and realized he was covered in soot and ash. His clothes were torn and mostly burned away and he felt the pain of burns on his skin. He nodded to let Byakuya know he was all right, then leaned heavily against him, still coughing.

He felt himself lifted and let his head rest on Byakuya's shoulder as he was carried across the gardens and into Byakuya's room. He was carried to the shower and undressed, then brought beneath the soft spray of cool water. The ash ran in streams down his body, onto Byakuya's, then down the drain at their feet.

"I think I can stand now," he told Byakuya.

Byakuya set him carefully on his feet, but remained in front of him, the dark eyes watchful as Renji carefully washed the filth from his burned skin. When he was clean again, Byakuya cautiously dried his skin, pausing every so often to focus healing energy on the worst of the burns. When he was dry, he walked out into the bedroom and dropped onto the bed and felt the bed move as Byakuya knelt next to him. Healing power flared around him again as his taichou moved slowly over every inch of his skin, gently healing each burn and abrasion. Renji gave a sigh of relief as the throbbing pain of the burns faded and was replaced with Byakuya's cool, calming touches.

"Turn over," Byakuya said softly.

Renji rolled slowly onto his back and felt drowsiness steal over him as the healing continued. By the time Byakuya's hands withdrew and the healing power faded, Renji was sound asleep.

Byakuya climbed to his feet, swaying slightly. He placed a kidou barrier around the room, then returned to the shower and rinsed away the last of the ash, flinching as the water encountered the burns on his own skin. He had been so intent on rescuing Renji that he had simply ignored the burning feeling in his lungs and the pain of singed flesh. Unfortunately, now that it was over and Renji was safe, his body was quickly reminding him that he was not invincible. It seemed odd that with all of the powerful things that had threatened to undo him over the years that something so mundane as fire could have damaged him so. But it was his own fault. He had been reckless…and only Senbonzakura's spontaneous release had saved both of them from disaster. Had he given any consideration to the consequences of his actions, he could have protected himself more capably. Still, it had been close. If he had stopped to think, Renji might have been killed. No. He had made the right decision. It was more than worth the cost to his body.

But now he had to pay the consequences. He eased himself down onto the tiled shower bench and leaned heavily against the wall, lifting his legs up and curling them beneath him. The gentle spray cooled his skin and calmed his spinning mind and Byakuya found himself slowly losing awareness.

"Byakuya?"

He was too exhausted to drag himself to the surface and answer.

A moment later, the sound and feel of the water fell away and Byakuya felt Renji's warm presence beside him. He opened his eyes and looked up at Renji wearily.

"I am fine," he managed.

"Yeah, right. Bullshit, Taichou. You're a mess," Renji countered, stepping into the shower and wrapping a towel around him.

Byakuya groaned inwardly, but forced himself to his feet and even offered a small amount of resistance as Renji tried to help him back into bed.

"It's not that bad," he said calmly.

"Byakuya, you look like hell. Just…relax and let me take care of you, okay?"

"You're in no shape to be healing anyone, Abarai. I told you I'm fine," Byakuya said reprovingly.

"You're grouchy when you're injured," observed Renji, pushing him down onto the bed, "Now, just stay there, will you? I don't have the energy to fight you and heal you. If you don't hold still, I'll put you to sleep and do this."

Realizing the futility of further resistance, Byakuya settled onto his stomach and rested his head on his arms. He had to admit to himself that it was exceedingly pleasant to feel Renji's healing power touch him again. As Renji leaned over him, Byakuya turned his head to admire the sun browned skin and intricate tribal markings, realizing just how long it had been since he had seen the full expanse of them. He knew their patterns by heart now and he longed to see them all in flickering candlelight, to trace them with his fingertips, to tease them with his lips and tongue…to see how they moved with each shift of his body.

"Hey, I said hold still, Taichou," Renji objected, "I'm not done yet."

The words had barely left his mouth when Renji felt himself lifted, turned and thrown down on the bed. The next thing he knew, he was pinned beneath his taichou and his mouth was being somewhat violently invaded by Byakuya's commanding tongue. He considered arguing that Byakuya was still in need of healing, but realized quickly that the noble had no intention of letting him say anything. His tongue stroked the surfaces of Renji's mouth with tantalizing slowness and his hips ground deeply into the redhead's leaving him wondering what it was he had originally thought to say.

He caught a glimpse of the dark eyes gone feral with lust, then they disappeared as the heated mouth pulled away from his and assaulted his throat with a rush of warm kisses and soft wet strokes. At the same time, the noble's hands were moving, one to sink into the long red hair and tilt his head back to provide better access to his throat, while the other slid down between their writhing bodies, seeking Renji's nether region. "Kami…Bya…" Renji gasped softly, "It's been a really long time. I don't think I can…"

His words were stopped and his back arched as Byakuya bit down on his throat hungrily. He crawled down the length of Renji's torso, kissing his way down to the redhead's navel, then sinking his tongue into it and sucking deeply until Renji moaned loudly and his back arched again. Byakuya lifted his tongue out of the redhead's navel and kissed his way down to the place that most eagerly awaited his touch.

Adjusting so he could better see Renji's face, Byakuya began a slow, intense exploration of the area. Renji's eyes widened and he moaned and panted hungrily, his chest heaving. He almost launched off the bed as that wonderfully hot tongue teased him shamelessly. The noble kept his motions deliciously slow, making Renji's hips thrust upward and his hands slip into the noble's silken hair, tightening and pleading for him to move faster. Byakuya continued the maddeningly slow stimulation, until Renji's hands clenched, his breath hitched, and his body shuddered heavily as he finally released. Byakuya devoured the hot fluid, swallowed several times, then slowly licked the last drops. He lifted his body and stretched warmly along the redhead's side, his head rested on Renji's chest and his hardened arousal pressed against his hip.

Renji took several long, slow breaths, falling back to earth. Byakuya's fingers continued to softly trace the black lines on his chest and stomach as the redhead slowly recovered. When he could move again, Renji turned and eased the noble onto his back. Looking down into the dark, smoldering eyes, he moved so that he straddled the noble's slender torso and spread his hands on the strong, muscular chest.

"Now, will you let me heal you?" he asked softly.

Byakuya's eyes sparked.

"Is that what you plan to do? Heal me?" he asked, gazing up into the redhead's brown eyes.

Renji nodded.

Byakuya's eyes blinked slowly.

"Then don't let me stop you…Renji."

Smiling, Renji lifted his hips and shifted, sinking down slowly onto the noble's thickened arousal. When its full length was buried inside him, he paused for a moment, gently leaning forward to tease the noble's pale skin with his tongue, before lifting his upper body away, lowering his head and calling his healing power to life. Green light flared brightly around them as the redhead's hips rose and fell, slowly at first, and then with gradually increasing speed. Byakuya moaned softly and his hips rose to meet Renji's, then fell away, rose again, then fell away. And as they moved together, the healing light sank down beneath their skin, soothing the remaining burns and stealing away the pain.

Byakuya gazed up at Renji through half lidded eyes, grateful for the fact that he hadn't been lost, that the forces that sought to take him away had been stopped. But they would keep trying. They would come back and try again and again until either they succeeded, or he found a way to convince them to stop.

He would do anything it took to protect Renji.

He would give anything.

As he gave himself over to the pleasure of release, Byakuya knew beyond doubt, that he would stop at nothing…even if the cost of saving Renji meant yielding up his own life.

And as he lay recovering in Renji's arms, Kuchiki Byakuya thought of a very reckless way to make his point. He turned and lifted himself slightly, taking Renji's face in his hands and looking calmly into the deep brown eyes. Slowly, he raised his spiritual pressure until it glowed white all around them.

"Byakuya, what are you doing?" Renji asked softly, enjoying the feel of Byakuya's power wrapping around him.

He felt it sink down under his skin and then felt a sensation like something was wrapping around him and binding itself to him. He slowly became aware of another presence whose thoughts and emotions moved quietly alongside his…connected, but somehow differentiated from his own consciousness. As he studied the noble's serene expression, he came to the gradual realization that what he was feeling was the touch of another spirit linking with his. All at once, he knew what his taichou was doing. He looked up into the calm, dark eyes and wondered.

_Taichou…why?_

Warm lips brushed gently against Renji's and Byakuya's voice was a soft whisper in his mind.

_Renji…trust me._


	25. The Spirit Link

**Chapter 25: The Spirit Link**

_The Spirit Link… The binding, the entwining of reiatsu… The deepest connection and resonation of souls…_

_Like the connection of shinigami to zanpakutou, but forged by sheer force of will…_

_Only shinigamis wielding huge amounts of power can fully achieve it, though few would dare. For the deep binding of souls requires an open link between two spirits. And through that open link, each is fully revealed to the other. It cannot exist in the absence of absolute love, trust and loyalty. If any one fails in either spirit, the link cannot open. And once it is accepted by both souls, it can only be closed by the death of either soul. If one soul dies, the other is claimed by death as well._

_How did I become so desperate?_

"Byakuya…why did you do that?"

He looked into the widened brown eyes. Abarai Renji understood in theory what had happened, but it would take time for him to learn to fully utilize the open link. And Byakuya knew already to respect the deepest secrets of the heart, to show restraint and not to look if not invited to do so. So even though the link teased him with the promise of pure knowledge, he held himself away and waited for his lover's thoughts to be voiced. He stared into the brown eyes and struggled to find the right words. Because everything rested precariously on this explanation. In this breathless moment of the initial gaining of the link, there was one opportunity to close it again without the death of souls. For it wasn't enough to simply achieve it. After the initial opening of the link, each soul must choose whether or not to accept. If accepted by both, the link would remain open until the death of either soul, but if rejected by either, it would close again. So much rested upon his words. For the first time in his life, Byakuya found himself nearly petrified.

"Renji, do you trust me?"

The brown eyes blinked. He'd expected an answer, not a question. And the question itself struck him as strange. Hadn't he answered this a thousand times? Hadn't he placed his life repeatedly in his taichou's hands, giving himself over to the protection of that relentless strength, that center of power? How could he not know? Why did he have to ask? Didn't the opening of the link mean that Byakuya could simply look into his thoughts, his heart, his core and take anything he wanted. If that was so, why was he using words at all?

But if Byakuya could use the link in such a way, Renji realized, so could he. And being impulsive, he almost jumped to doing so. But he was stopped in his tracks by one simple fact. Byakuya could have used it, could have read him like an open book…and yet he hadn't. He had voiced the question. And the deep gray eyes were waiting, filled with patience and a healthy measure of uncertainty. He needed an answer.

"Yes, Byakuya, I trust you."

"Then listen to what I have to say. And when I am finished, give me a completely honest answer to the question I will ask you."

Mystified, the redhead nodded.

"The Kuchiki Council of Elders is determined to force us apart. Tonight, they have proven that they will not stop at intimidation and manipulation. They are determined now to kill you. They will continue to try until they succeed or until I find a way to make it unpalatable for them to do so. I thought to try to protect you, but I simply cannot protect you against all of their machinations. And I will not risk failing you."

A pained, almost guilty look came over Renji's face.

"Byakuya, you don't have to do this just to protect me. We can find another way if that is all this is," he said, the hurt evident in his voice.

Predictable, Byakuya thought, that in the most important of moments, his words should fail him! Renji didn't understand…not at all. He tried again.

"It isn't just because I want to protect you. A Spirit Link would not open if that was all that was present, Renji. There are rules…"

And his words failed him again. He could see that Renji still did not understand. He closed his eyes against the feeling of failure. A warm hand touched his face. He opened his eyes. There was still confusion in the brown eyes…confusion, uncertainty and pain. But he hadn't rejected the link. There was still a chance. He tried a third time.

"With the link opened, the council will not dare to act against you. They value my power and would not risk losing me…"

"Byakuya, I know you love me. I know you want to protect me. I appreciate that more than you know. And usually I'm the impulsive one. I rush into things headlong without thinking them through. That's who I am. But, that is not the way my taichou is. So, why are you doing this?"

He couldn't answer. He was making a horrid mess of things. He couldn't even draw a breath.

"The Spirit Link means we would be connected until one of us dies, Byakuya. That's not so bad for me because you are powerful, but every time I make a snap decision, your life will be at risk, too. If I do something impulsive and stupid, then you will pay for it, too. And this is all good and well as long as we are in love, but what happens if one of us falls out of love, Taichou? What then? How are we supposed to move on with our lives and meet other people? We wouldn't be able to, because you would still be connected to me. I would still be in your mind. We would be trapped."

And that brought Kuchiki Byakuya face to face with himself. In his rush to judgment, he hadn't given consideration to what Renji would be giving up. A choice to live together could be undone. A wedding could be undone. But by entwining souls, they would be entering something even more binding. If it had been wrong for him to pressure Renji into moving in with him, into getting married, this was a thousand times worse. Although there was no question in his mind that there was no way that he was going to fall out of love with Renji, he realized that in opening the link, he had assumed that Renji would not fall out of love with him. He had attempted to make a choice for Renji that wasn't his to make. He had selfishly assumed that he knew Renji's heart well enough to speak for him. It was an ugly truth and it shook Kuchiki Byakuya to the very core. And the words he forced out next stung him worse than the blade Gin Ichimaru had sent through his heart. He was surprised at the calm in his voice as he delivered them.

"My apologies, Abarai Renji. It was selfish of me to do such a thing. I ask your forgiveness. All you need to do then is to reject the link. If either of us rejects it during its initial phase, it will close."

He paused for a moment as Renji absorbed the words. He was well practiced in forcing his reiatsu to calm, in putting on airs of unconcern, but inside his mind was spinning so fast that it threatened to undo everything. It seemed that time had slowed to a crawl as he waited for Renji to say something, to do something, to move. And while he waited, emotion roiled beneath the surface, pushing against his considerable controls and threatening to unmask him. He couldn't let that happen. Not here, not now, not ever. And feeling his resolve beginning to crumble, he did the only thing he could.

"If you will excuse me, Renji, there are things I must attend to for tomorrow. Stay within the barrier. I will be back."

A flash step later, he was in the gardens, then out the gate and onto the path that led to the waterfall. Heedless of the fact that his hair was unbound and still tumbled from their lovemaking, that he was dressed in just a robe, that his feet were bare, that anyone who saw him would see just an ephemeral shadow of a person lost to a rush of madness. But he couldn't stay there. He couldn't watch. He hadn't the heart to look on in stoic silence as Abarai Renji rejected the link. He couldn't escape feeling it. He could run forever and it wouldn't be far enough. But he couldn't look into the gentle brown eyes as the one he loved enough to die for tore a hole in his heart. Even though he had brought it on himself. Even though he had fully earned the privilege of having his heart torn in two.

But that was the price he had to pay for acting on impulse, for not stopping to think things through before obligating Renji to do something so binding. It was the price he would pay for defying the council until they resolved to take Renji from him at any cost. It was the price he had to pay for abandoning his solitude and reaching for happiness. He was everything he had been accused of being…an aristocratic, heartless bastard whose selfishness knew no bounds…one who would recklessly pursue what he wanted, heedless of the cost to everyone around him…who would use his considerable power to gain control of Renji's choices, to force him to remain at his side…who would force Renji to make huge decisions long before he was ready. Even though Renji's was the hand that would destroy what he had created, he was the one who had created this horrid mess. And now he had just as selfishly left Renji to deal with the fallout.

He reached the waterfall and soared over the edge without slowing. Expert control of his spiritual pressure brought him down into the open meadow. He touched down in the long grass, still moving at flash step speed, streaking through the it with such swiftness that he left no trail, just pulled the grass in his direction and released, causing a chain reaction of ripples behind him. He was running blindly now. Still lit with the power that had opened the Spirit Link, he was a shimmering spectacle and also, he realized, a very tempting target.

And when he realized suddenly that he was not alone, he had to ask himself if perhaps the recklessness that had caused him to leave with such haste…without even his zanpakutou…might be his undoing. He was spared from further thought by a familiar touch on his arm and the settling of a feminine form in the midst of his path. Her hands fastened tightly on his forearms and she set her feet firmly in the ground. Startled, he came sliding to a halt.

Widened gray eyes met curious golden orbs. She was staring intently and kami only knew what she must be thinking. She was the last person he wished to have see him in such a state, but it was done now. She was taking in everything and staring as though he had become something unimaginable. He stood, panting softly under the light of the setting moon, his expression calm and controlled, but everything else in complete disarray.

It was almost morning. It was ironic that such a beautiful beginning could bring about such an end.

He realized suddenly that Yoruichi hadn't said a word. She was still standing, hands gripping his forearms, face to face with him. He waited for her to say something, to poke fun at him for how he looked, for what he had done, for how stupid he had been. He waited for her to laugh.

"You look cold, Kuchiki Byakuya," she said finally.

She paused as though waiting for an answer. Hearing none, she released his forearms and took him by the hand. Turning toward the senkaimon, they walked slowly now. They passed into the living world with no further words. Even upon reaching Urahara Kisuke's shop, they said nothing. There was no need for words. She already knew how stupid and reckless he had been. He didn't have to tell her.

So he walked silently alongside her, calm and quiet as his reiatsu finally settled, as the madness faded away, as acceptance settled over him. She motioned for him to sit down on the soft sofa and a warm blanket was wrapped around him. As she left the room, he turned and set his arms on the armrest, laying his head calmly on top of them and staring out at the full moon. It would be gone soon…the moon and the Spirit Link. It seemed strange that it hadn't already closed. Renji only had to will it closed and it would close. He only had to make the choice and it would happen.

He wondered then if he should close the link, but in his heart, he knew the time for that had long past. He had already accepted it and, for Kuchiki Byakuya, the window of opportunity for making that choice had closed.

Everything rested in Renji's hands now…and until he accepted or rejected the link, Byakuya would simply have to wait.

A cup of hot green tea settled onto the end table next to him. The steam and light scent wafted up and touched his senses, taking him back in time.

"_One must be at peace inwardly as well as outwardly to sleep well, Renji," he commented._

"_Does that mean you are still not sleeping well, Taichou?" Renji asked, looking genuinely concerned._

"_Do not concern yourself," Byakuya said calmly, "I am fine, Renji."_

"_I was going to say," Renji went on, "that if falling asleep is a problem for you, I may be able to help."_

_Byakuya lifted an eyebrow in curiosity._

"_How?" he asked quietly._

"_Just something I learned growing up," Renji answered, following Byakuya back into his bedroom, "Lie down while I go make your tea and I will show you when I come back."_

_Byakuya slipped back into the soft, comfortable bed and rested with his eyes turned still to the gardens, remembering how much more beautiful it seemed with Renji walking in it. No time seemed to pass before Renji stepped back into the room and set a cup of tea in his hands._

"_Arigato, Renji," he said softly, accepting the tea._

_The hand that delivered the tea withdrew a bit more slowly than usual and Byakuya felt his heart skip. He sipped at the tea, observing Renji with one dark upturned eye._

"_You were saying before that you could help me sleep more…soundly," he said, finally breaking the silence._

_He noticed that the tea tasted very slightly different, but in a surprisingly good way._

"_It is an herbal mixture that I learned from a doctor who cared for me once when I was a kid in Inuzuri. Don't worry," he said, noticing Byakuya's uneasy expression, "it contains no drug, just soothing extracts of plants. It should relax you somewhat for what comes next…if you wish me to continue."_

_Now Kuchiki Byakuya was both soothed and curious. He finished the tea and handed the cup to Renji, who deposited it on the nightstand and sat down next to him on the bed._

"_With Taichou's permissision?" Renji asked respectfully._

_Byakuya nodded._

_As curious as he was, after the first few touches, Byakuya lost awareness of his surroundings and drifted quickly towards sleep. None of the touches were suggestive and each was delivered with warmth and respect. And when Renji was finished, Byakuya was sleeping very soundly beside him._

He was startled out of his reverie as something soft and warm jumped up and deposited itself on his lap. He opened his eyes and glanced down at Yoruichi. Now in cat form, she regarded him for a moment with sleepy eyes, then turned and settled down in his lap, purring. He sipped at the tea, then set his head on his arms again and closed his eyes. Slowly, one hand slipped out from beneath his chin and lowered itself, curling around the purring feline. One golden eye opened and looked up at him, then closed again. Surrounded again by warmth, Byakuya finally gave himself over to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You haven't asked me a single question," Byakuya observed aloud as Yoruichi finished brushing out his hair and tied it back with a red hair tie, one of the many she had stolen from him.

She handed him a clean shihakushou.

"You were in no shape for an interrogation earlier and there isn't time for one now. Besides, who needs to ask, anyway? It's obvious enough that you did something reckless and heartfelt, and then regretted it and tore yourself up for having done it. I hate to say it, Byakuya, but you're becoming kind of predictable that way."

He furrowed his brow in annoyance.

"Predictable?"

Now she laughed, but it was softer, not at all the mocking laugh she had used before.

"Yes, Byakuya, predictable. You keep repeating the same wrong thing over and over."

"I imagine you're right about that. Three times now I've acted in ways that forced Renji to move forward before he was ready. And this time, I simply asked too much. Is that what you mean?" he asked, looking up at her.

"No, baka!" she laughed, "I meant that you try so hard to listen to your instincts, then you torment yourself for doing so."

"My instincts are destroying everything."

"It isn't your instincts that are the problem, it is your lack of follow-through," she explained, "You make a decision and you should follow through with it."

"That's a ridiculous absolute!" he said shortly, "And would you leave for a moment so I can dress?"

"Why is it ridiculous?" she countered, "And no, I won't leave. You don't have anything that I haven't seen before, Lord Kuchiki."

"Yes…but I was a mere teen at the time and I didn't take any pleasure in being seen by you then either, Demon Cat!" he said irascibly, "At least have the courtesy to turn your back."

She turned away.

"And keep it turned, if you please," he went on.

She managed a few glimpses anyway.

"I don't know why you'd want to look anyway…unless you like observing what you cannot have."

"Quit muttering at me and make your point. Why is it ridiculous to follow through on your decisions? Isn't it good to be decisive?" she asked.

"As long as it is a good decision, I imagine, but if it is a selfish or wrong decision, don't I have an obligation to fix it?"

"Why?" she said pointedly, "As long as it was an honest, heartfelt decision, the rightness or wrongness is secondary."

"What?" he asked crossly, "You mean that no matter how vile or wrong my decision might be, I should choose to go ahead with it? That's…it's…insane!"

"I didn't mean that you should make a poor decision, I meant that if you're really making a decision at all, your resolve in that decision should carry you through. If you're going to be bad, Byakuya, you have to go all of the way."

She turned and took him by the shoulders, heedless of the fact that he was still bared to the hakama. She glared directly into his eyes.

"Renji isn't the problem here, you are," she said matter-of-factly, "You're trying to make your decisions and his."

"That is what I'm trying to fix!" he snapped.

"Byakuya, you're not second guessing yourself because you think you made a mistake. You are second guessing yourself because of your fear that Renji has doubts about your connection. Don't you see? When you asked him to move in, he initially had doubts, but he worked through them. When the Elders forced you into this shotgun wedding, he balked at that, too, but he came to the decision to go ahead with it."

"He felt obligated because he didn't want to see me do something stupid and get myself killed! He told me that."

"That wasn't why he did it though," she countered.

"Then why did he do it?" Byakuya asked sharply.

"He did it because nearly losing you reminded him that nothing is certain. You could lose each other at any time. Did he say that, too, Byakuya?"

His eyes told her that he had.

"Something like that," he admitted, gritting his teeth.

"So you did something else…what? What was it?" she asked.

He fastened the tie at his waist.

"I opened a Spirit Link."

Her eyes widened.

"You…opened a Spirit Link?" she asked, staring.

"They tried to kill him last night. And you know that won't be the end of it. I have power of all kinds, but I can't protect him against everything. But neither could I sit there waiting for them to try again. I was determined to protect him...and I couldn't think of another way. So I did the only thing I could think of to stop them in their tracks."

"and let me guess…you saved the explanation until after. Then he got nervous…and sounded unsure. Then, you told him how to refuse the link…and you ran."

His expression told her all she needed to know.

"That was foolish, Byakuya…and reckless."

He lowered his eyes.

"Tell me something I don't know. Do you see why I had to tell him to refuse it? He wanted to anyway. But even so, he would have gone through with it, no doubt, because he knew that I loved him that much, and he would have spent the rest of his life regretting it. Eventually when I regained my senses, I would have regretted it too. I did the right thing by changing my decision. It wasn't right…and I was obligated to fix it."

"Then if he hasn't already rejected it, you should."

"I can't," he said, looking up at her, "because it doesn't work that way. The decision was made in my heart already. You did say that good or bad, I should stick to my decision? Well, once my heart started down that path, I no longer had the ability to close the link. Only Renji can do that. I am stuck with this unless he undoes it."

"And he hasn't yet?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"Oh my…" she said staring at him sympathetically, "you are in trouble."

"I am also running out of time. I have to return and change before that meeting. If Renji won't accept the Spirit Link, then I have to come up with a way to keep the council from trying to kill him again."

"Well," she said quietly, "I know what I would do."

As she explained, he was surprised to note that, for once, their ideas had been the same.

"Just tell me one more thing, Yoruichi," he said as he prepared to leave, "What were you doing out in the middle of the night, prowling around so close to Kuchiki Manor?"

She smiled.

"Byakuya…my old friend from way back was running through the darkness with his reiatsu flaring like a Roman candle. Why do you think I was out there?"

"Did you say…friend?" he asked, blinking, "Senpai, I thought that I was your unwilling victim."

She leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

"You were that too, Byakuya."

By the time he left to dress for the meeting, he felt somewhat encouraged. He returned to the Seireitei at flash step speed and raced into the manor. Renji had already left for the hall, but he had left a note saying he would meet Byakuya there. The noble quickly dressed and flash stepped all of the way to the Kuchiki Council Hall. He stopped when he saw Renji waiting for him at the top of the steps. He took a breath and hid himself beneath a mask of calm. He walked slowly up the steps, took Renji's hand without a word and led him into the central meeting chamber.


	26. Unexpected

**Chapter 26: Unexpected**

Renji waited as Byakuya climbed the Council Hall steps and approached him. He had no idea what to expect. The last time Renji had seen his taichou, Byakuya had just told him to close the Spirit Link. He left quickly after that, not even giving Renji time to respond. His reiatsu had been so disturbed, Renji worried that there might have been some kind of danger…but after a time, the reiatsu calmed and Renji was finally able to sleep. It was the only time he had ever slept alone in their bed…and it was a lot colder without Byakuya. Renji was surprised at just how much he felt his taichou's absence.

Before falling asleep he had thought about the Spirit Link. And he had tried to close it. It should have been easy. Byakuya had explained how and he had followed the directions to the letter…but it was still as if he hadn't made up his mind at all. That was when Abarai Renji realized just how much his taichou meant to him. He wasn't ready to accept the Spirit Link, but he was ready to admit that he was very much in love with Byakuya…and he was more than ready now to move forward with the wedding. He hadn't been before. He had made himself say the words, but he hadn't felt them in his heart. He felt them now. He felt them and he wanted more than anything to tell him. Abarai Renji was stunned when his taichou reached him, said nothing, did not even look at him, but only took his hand and led him inside.

Byakuya led him to the head of the table and they sat down beside each other. Renji leaned toward him, but at that moment Noriko stood and turned to face Byakuya.

"Lord Byakuya," she said in a stiff, formal tone, "You have been called to Council as you have broken the rules of courtship…again. Council warned you that if you wished to continue your courtship of Abarai Renji, you must adhere to those rules or you must abandon the relationship. You agreed to the rules, yet once again, you tried to circumvent them."

Byakuya stood and Renji felt his reiatsu flare in warning.

"Councilor, I admit that I did break the rules of courtship, but only after Council took disturbing steps to force me into violation of the agreement."

Noriko glared at him.

"And do you have proof of this?" she asked.

"I do not need it to see what is before my own eyes. This Council smilingly offered compromise, then tried to undo it with subterfuge."

"There is no proof of a connection to Council. Those people could have acted alone," Noriko said, meeting his eyes squarely.

Byakuya glared back, his reiatsu rising.

"Kuchiki Noriko," Baykuya said in a low, seething voice, "I had thought you to be an improvement over the last Head Councilor, who ended up attempting to kill Renji and me. It seems that I was mistaken."

He let his eyes scan the faces of the councilors for a moment.

"My grandfather did much to improve relations in our clan. He did much to strengthen it by laying the groundwork for cooperation between clan leader and council," Byakuya said, his voice softening with memory, "In addition to that, he personally saw to my training and preparation. I have been raised to lead, to value the honor and the legacy of the Kuchiki family…and to protect those things with all of the power I wield. He warned me that this would not be easy, but that it was my duty to see that our family's honor and position among the noble houses was secured. To this day, no clan's power exceeds ours. No clan dares to oppose us. Our clan is honored, respected…feared. I have seen to my promises."

He paused for a moment, releasing a long sigh.

_Byakuya…the link is still open. Just tell them._

"This Council has opposed my association with Abarai Renji under two sets of leaders. The first opposed it on the grounds that it would dishonor our clan…and that it would cause me to forget my promises. They opposed it because they believed I would not marry and produce heirs. And while their arguments were understandable, they were not willing to hear anything their own clan leader offered in words. We were driven to the violence that shattered that Council.

The one that replaced it is much more adept in negotiation. Once understanding that I intended to keep my promises and that I would obey the rules of courtship and marry Abarai Renji in thirty days…that we would produce heirs, this Council gave its support to my union with Renji."

_Taichou, what are you doing? Why don't you use the link? Isn't that why you opened it?_

Byakuya ignored him and continued.

"But this Council dishonors itself. This Council shames itself by negotiating falsely, then compounding it by undermining the agreement and lying to hide the transgressions. And why? If I indicated a willingness to keep our agreements, then it wasn't concern for our clan that led this Council to take these egregious steps. That leaves me with two possibilities. Either this council still regards Abarai Renji as being unworthy, but lacks the backbone to oppose me directly…or this Council is doing this as a means of punishing me for the events that brought down the last Council. It may be that it is some of each, but neither is tolerable."

_Taichou…Taichou, why don't you just tell them? You opened the Spirit Link to protect me from them. Once they know, they will not oppose you._ _Taichou!_

"Whether you are cowards or liars or both, you have brought dishonor to this family. My relationship with Abarai Renji has been in the open for some time…and has earned no backlash. It is not wrong, nor does it bring dishonor to our name for me to love him. It does not make me wish to violate my promises. It makes me want to keep them.

This council indicated a concern for the protection of power…and in Renji it will be assured of that. Renji is an accomplished shinigami with great power, power he wields judiciously to enforce our laws. He has used his power to protect the life of the clan leader whose power you so desire to keep. He has stood between death and me…I am still here because of him.

If the members of this Council could see beyond the lengths of their upturned noses, they would certainly see that our clan loses nothing and only stands to gain from this union! It is my duty to protect the honor and reputation of this family, but I cannot protect that which does not exist. There is no honor in this place, and cowardice and lies have undone what reputation I sought to protect. That being true, I have only one path I may take."

Renji watched with widened eyes as Byakuya reached up and removed the kenseiken. He held the headpiece up before the council, then threw it onto the table. The kenseiken spun and slid across the table, coming to rest in front of Kuchiki Noriko. She and the rest of the council stared in disbelief.

_Byakuya…what are you doing? Why didn't you just tell them? You didn't have to do this!_

"If the Kuchiki family is without honor, then I will no longer wear its name."

"Lord…Byakuya," stammered Noriko, "you know…what this means."

Byakuya nodded.

"It means that I am no longer a member of this fallen clan. It means that everything not earned by my own labor is forfeit and all holdings are returned to the family trust. It means that I am no longer your leader, nor do I even leave here bearing my family name. I have made myself outcast from the noble clans. Now, I am a peasant. And because I know you will blame Renji, the power I once used to serve this family will protect Renji from it. In the parlance of the peasant class, "You can go fuck yourselves.""

Renji found himself being pulled to his feet and half dragged across the room. He finally managed to get his legs moving, but his mind was caught in a whirlwind. Byakuya Kuchiki had said what? Did he really hear it? The way the councilors were still staring as they left confirmed it.

"You…told them to go fuck themselves," he said dazedly.

"Yes, I know," Byakuya said dryly, "You should return to the manor. I removed my personal belongings before the meeting, but yours are there still. I will see you at work tomorrow. Be on time."

He turned to leave.

"Byakuya," Renji called after him, "wait! I thought that…"

"Do not concern yourself, Abarai fukutaichou. As I am not a member of the Kuchiki clan any longer, neither are we required to wed. You are released from your obligation. And I do not know why you have not closed the link, but you should do that."

"Byakuya!"

Byakuya glared at him.

"Sorry…Taichou…what about…I mean…"

He froze, still trying to gather his thoughts.

"Can we at least go somewhere and talk about this?" he asked.

Byakuya sighed and turned toward the Squad Six office. Renji walked slowly at his side, stealing glances at him.

"What is there to say, Renji? I did what I needed to do to end Council's interference in our association. You are no longer obligated in any way. I should think that would make you happy. Isn't this what you wanted?"

"What…you mean you throwing away everything you have so you could…?"

"So I could choose my own path. That's all I was doing, Renji. I can no longer tolerate those people making my choices. It is no more right than me trying to make your choices for you. Even though they were driven by the desire for power and I was driven by love, both were equally wrong. You must see that."

They reached the Squad Six office and entered. Closing the door behind them. Renji went to make some tea, then returned and sat down in a chair next to Byakuya's desk.

"Byakuya, what happens now?" Renji asked.

Byakuya took a sip of tea.

"How do you mean, Renji?"

"Well, do you have a place to stay? What about Rukia? I mean…"

"I spoke to Rukia before I went to the meeting. She is staying with her squad until I secure a new home for us. Renji…I may not have the manor or holdings I did, but my earnings as taichou are more than sufficient. While I appreciate your concern, of course, I can take care of myself."

Renji nodded.

"I know. I just wanted to be sure."

Byakuya turned to the stack of papers on his desk.

"If you will excuse me now, Renji, I have work to do."

Renji placed a hand on his arm.

"Taichou, look, I still have things I wish to say to you."

Byakuya said nothing, but only gazed down quietly at the hand that touched his arm.

"I appreciate you standing up to them like that. I think it was amazing. But I don't understand. Couldn't you have avoided giving up your position in the clan by just telling them about the Spirit Link?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"The link has not been fully formed. In its initial phase, it does open our minds to each other and improves communication, but the souls are not fully entwined until both have accepted the link…and therefore, if one dies, the other may or may not be affected. It would have been a very dangerous bluff, which if seen through, could have ended in disaster. But it hardly matters. Renji, my opening that link was a mistake. And now I think you need to fix it. Close the link. Reject it. That will set things right."

"I tried closing it. It wouldn't close. And I couldn't ask you what that meant, because you left. Taichou, I feel like closing the link will hurt you, and I don't want to do that," Renji said, moving his hand from Byakuya's arm to touch his face.

Byakuya sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Renji, you should not concern yourself with that. I took a reckless action and there is a price I will pay for it. I was not looking forward to paying the price for my actions and I chose to leave so that I might come to terms with the consequences privately. But I am here now. And I told you, I am fine with it. All that remains to be done is for you to close the link. Focus on it and reject it. It will fade and this can be over. But really, Renji, letting it continue any longer borders on cruelty. So, I would ask that you take care of this now so that we can begin to move on."

"But that isn't what you want. I know that," Renji said quietly.

Byakuya reached up and gently removed the warm hand from his face.

"Renji, it isn't any more right for you to decide what I think than it was for me to decide what you think. Before we take a step like that, there are some pathways that we have left to travel. Someday we may reach that point, but it has to arrive in its own time. I am fine with waiting."

"Can't I just hold off on doing anything? You know, just leave it the way it is?" Renji asked.

"Do you wish for me to have a constant reminder of my foolishness? I imagine it would be a just consequence, but I would really prefer that you spare me that."

He took Renji's hands.

"Just focus on the link and reject it. Do it now, Renji."

Renji stared into the tired gray eyes and read the barely concealed pain beneath them. But he knew the pain would be worse the longer he waited. He focused on the connection that was between them, enjoying for a moment that very deep resonance, then looking into the dark gray eyes, he willed it to close. Slowly, the connection faded and Renji felt suddenly alone…as if he had just lost a part of himself. He swallowed hard. He hadn't been prepared for that. He looked up at Byakuya and noticed that his expression hadn't changed. There was only that same melancholy he had seen before.

"There," he said quietly, "things have been made right. Now, Renji, we do need to get some things done here. You should start getting caught up with those reports."

Sighing, Renji moved back to his own desk and started sorting through the stack of papers. He really tried to focus, but his eyes kept finding their way to the silent, stoic man across the room from him. He wondered what Byakuya was feeling. It had to be bad. He had given up his title, his home…so much, just to have the privilege of losing the Spirit Link and the chance to marry Renji. And still, he sat quietly reading reports and filling out paperwork as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened…as if his heart wasn't breaking.

"Abarai," Byakuya said looking up, "take these files over to the Squad One office. Soutaichou requested that they be delivered to him today."

"Hai, Taichou," Renji said, picking up the files and walking out the door.

As the door closed behind Renji, Byakuya sighed and stood. He unwound the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu from around his throat and left it hanging over the back of his chair. He left the office and walked into the Taichou's quarters, closing the door behind him. He slipped the haori off of his shoulders and placed it on its peg, then sat down on the bed and leaned back against the pillows, looking out the window, watching as a soft rain began to fall.

He heard the office door open and felt the touch of Renji's reiatsu as his fukutaichou returned. There was a moment of hesitation, then he heard footsteps coming across the room, into the hallway and stopping at his door. There was a soft knock on the door.

"Taichou?"

"Come," Byakuya replied softly.

The door opened and Renji walked in, carrying a cup of tea.

"I brought you some tea, Taichou."

"Arigato, Abarai, you may leave it there."

Renji set the tea on the nightstand and studied the man stretched out on the bed, his eyes turned to the window, watching the rain fall. It seemed to Renji that he looked lonely…sad.

"Was there something else, Abarai?" Byakuya asked, not looking up at the subordinate who was staring at him.

"Yes, actually there is something else," Renji said, moving forward and sitting down on the bed next to Byakuya.

The dark gray eyes rose to meet his, still carrying the weight of melancholy.

"Taichou…I know you're in pain. And a lot of that pain is there because of me. I'm sorry for that and I want to help. How can I help you?"

Byakuya blinked slowly, then his eyes returned to the window.

"Leave me for now, Renji."

"It can't have been easy walking away from your family like that, Taichou," Renji said softly, "even though they are really hard to deal with, you've worked hard to protect the honor and reputation of your clan. You did that because you loved your grandfather and I know you wanted to make him proud by carrying on his work, trying to improve relations between clan leader and council."

"And I failed miserably."

"No," said Renji, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You didn't fail, Byakuya, they did. They were the ones who used lies, manipulation and violence to get what they wanted. They wouldn't listen to reason or honestly negotiate. You did what you had to do. You aren't like them anyway, Byakuya. You must see that."

Byakuya stared harder out the window.

"But if I don't fit into my own family, then where do I fit in?" he whispered.

Renji reached out and pulled Byakuya into his arms.

"You fit here," he said, capturing his taichou's warm lips with his own, "You fit right here."


	27. Among the Weeds

**Chapter 27: Among the Weeds**

Abarai Renji had always thought Kuchiki Byakuya was beautiful. Even while hating him for taking Rukia from his life, he had not been unaffected by the noble's aura of strength, by the glow of his power, by the swirls of raven black hair, the depthless gray eyes, the pale skin that looked and felt as soft as flower petals, the scent of cherry blossoms, the deep, tranquil voice and the almost delicate looking façade that concealed everything he was inside.

And still, his breath was taken away again as all of that beauty laid beneath him, unmasked and yielded without asking for anything in return. His body still alive and warmed with their night of lovemaking, Renji gazed down at his sleeping lover and thanked every star in the sky that somehow, out of all of the souls in the Seireitei, his taichou's eye had fallen on him, had really looked at him, and having looked, had desired him above all others…had wanted so much to be with him that he was willing to walk away from everything without any assurance that Renji would yield himself in return.

But he needn't have worried…because even though Renji had been younger, impatient, impulsive and petrified that a commitment to any one person would steal away the passion that burned inside him, Abarai Renji was not blind. He could see past the end of his nose. He wasn't going to miss the one chance he had to hold perfection in his arms and to see those calm dark eyes looking back at him, seeing him in a way no one else ever would. Renji was not a fool…and he was not going to let Byakuya escape him…not now, and not ever.

He had to be feeling some sense of fear, Renji thought. In letting go of everything, in offering himself without requirement, he had to be scared to death that it would all be for nothing. But he had given himself to Renji without betraying anything, without asking anything, without saying anything.

But then, words were hardly necessary at this point.

"Why did you do this?" he whispered to his sleeping lover, "Why did you notice me, of all people? Why did you love me? Why did you give so much for nothing more than to offer yourself to me, asking nothing in return?"

He almost jumped out of his tanned, tattooed skin when the dark eyes opened and met his. And Abarai Renji was left breathless again at both the fact that he answered and the mind numbing answer itself.

"A flower will always know another flower, even one trapped among the weeds. When I walked the streets of Inuzuri all of those years ago, I saw a flower surrounded and nearly choked by the weeds around it. I cleared the weeds away and carefully extracted it. I took it home and gave it what it needed to thrive…but I found that I had discovered it too late, and it faded and died. I never understood why…until I was found, surrounded by weeds of a more insidious nature, weeds that looked beautiful, but attached themselves and stole the life from me, until like her, I began to fade and disappear among them. But someone cleared away the weeds and carefully extracted me from them…and now I am free of them. If I am strong enough, I can regain the strength the weeds drained from me and I can rebuild my life."

He wanted to fall on the pretty mouth that said such things to him, to bury himself in the depths of his lover's beauty and never free himself, but there was something that needed to be made right…and Abarai Renji knew that he must be the one to act. He leaned over Kuchiki Byakuya and treated him to a shower of whispered sentiments and gentle touches that would make him sleep again…and then he deepened that sleep until he could slip away unnoticed.

He quickly dressed and left the Squad Six office, heading toward the den of weeds that had nearly choked the life out of the one he loved. He went to them with a single purpose. It was something that came to him as Byakuya's words touched him and sank into his mind. He decided that Byakuya couldn't be the only flower among those weeds. There must be others like him somewhere. And if enough of them gathered and surrounded Byakuya, he didn't have to live apart from them to survive. Byakuya was the brightest and strongest of flowers. It was why the weeds had sought to use his strength to sustain them. They had surrounded him and nearly overwhelmed him. But it didn't have to be like that. All that Byakuya needed was for others like him to stand around him…to hold away the ones who sought to steal his strength and to allow him to grow to his full capacity. Towering over them, he could be everything they needed…and guarded on all sides by the ones who loved him, he would never be drained by the others.

He reached the steps of the Kuchiki Council Hall and ascended them two by two, drew Zabimaru and demolished the door to the central chamber and then strode through the hot, smoking ruins into the room where the council sat wide-eyed and open-mouthed, unable to fathom the sight of the red warrior that had forced his way in among them. He knew it would be only a short time before guards would burst in to subdue him, so Abarai Renji put the time to good use. He moved to the head of the table and set Zabimaru before him, then sat down.

"I know why you're here," he told them, "I know why you're in this room frantically putting your heads together and looking like ants about to be drowned by the rain. You need him. It's as simple as that. And I think that you must have figured out by now that lies, manipulations, threats and violence are not going to keep him here. You want to believe he left because of me. You thought I was the reason he left, but it wasn't me…just like it wasn't Hisana that made him see you for the useless weeds you are. It was you…you and all of the rotten things you did to him. You tried to convince him that he was like you…that he should walk, talk, and act like you. When he didn't, you tried anything and everything to break him down, to make him conform to your standards. I didn't have to do a thing to make him leave you. Sooner or later, he would have gotten free of you anyway. You deserve to rot for what you've done. You don't deserve what I am about to offer you. But even though he can walk away and live without you, having myself lived without family, I know that an imperfect, lousy, undeserving family like you is better than having no family at all. So I will tell you how you can convince him to return to you. I'll tell you how you can bring him back and make him stay. You don't have to listen. You can throw me out if you want…or have your guards come in and kill me. But I want to think that you're smarter than that. I want to think that you'll listen to reason now that you know nothing else is going to get you what you want. You may be shocked to hear this, but there is only one person now who can convince Kuchiki Byakuya to come back here and lead you. And that person is the one staring you in the face. The only question now is…do you want to listen?"

The room was silent for a moment. Then guards burst into the room and started toward Renji with their weapons drawn. Renji stood and picked up Zabimaru.

"Hold," said a calm, feminine voice.

"Kuchiki Noriko," said the leader of the guards, "he broke in here and caused all of this damage. Allow us to remove him for you."

The head councilor shook her head.

"Your presence is not necessary. Stand guard on the door and make certain we are not disturbed."

There was a long moment of hesitation, then the guard bowed and ordered his men out of the room. Kuchiki Noriko scanned the shocked faces of the other council members and turned to face Renji.

"Abarai Renji," she said quietly, "this council will hear what you have to say."

Renji set Zabimaru on the table and sat down again. As his words reached out across the room, he felt the warning presence of their power, power that they could have used to end his meager life if they wanted to. But like Abarai Renji, the nobles were not fools. They knew now that killing Renji was not going to get them what they wanted, so they held their power carefully in check and listened as he laid out his plan. When he was finished, the room was silent for a moment. Then Kuchiki Noriko turned to Renji.

"Abarai Renji, please wait here. Council will go into the next room to deliberate and we will return shortly to give our response."

He was not surprised at the decision for them to speak privately, nor for the short duration of time it took them to reach a decision. They were cornered and they knew it. And when the door opened and they filed back in, he already knew they would support him.

Kuchiki Noriko stood as the others took their places. She walked slowly to the head of the table and Renji rose to meet her. Slowly, the stern look she wore began to fade and a resigned smile replaced it.

"Abarai Renji," she said, reaching into her robes, "you leave this council with no choice."

She withdrew her hand and held out the kenseiken.

"Council will prepare everything as you have asked and will meet you at the appointed time."

Her deep gray eyes studied him for a moment.

"This is quite a risk for you as well, Abarai Renji. I do hope you know what you are doing."

Renji flashed her his most charming grin.

"Kuchiki Noriko, I hope so too."

The gray eyes sparked and the wry smile deepened.

_Yup,_ Renji thought, _I wasn't wrong. There are a few flowers among them._

Renji took the kenseiken and flash stepped out the door. He summoned a sea of hell butterflies and sent them in all directions. Then he raced toward the Squad Thirteen office, hoping as did the council behind him, that he knew what the hell he was doing. He was pretty sure it was the right thing. But a great deal rested upon someone as unpredictable as the path of a tornado…one who, when he finally woke, would quickly discover that he held Abarai Renji's fate in his hands.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kuchiki Byakuya woke very late in the day with a horrible headache and the suspicion that the sleep he had fallen under was not a natural one. He was surprised to find himself alone and the other side of his bed cold. But then, perhaps it was better that he should spend some time alone. He had to think now about what came next. He had to form some idea of what he was going to do now. But thinking about it only worsened the pain in his head. He dropped back onto the pillows and turned his head toward the window. And that is when Kuchiki Byakuya saw the hell butterfly hovering just outside.

He furrowed his brow, wondering why it hadn't just entered and waited for him to wake, why it beckoned him to the window, why it required him to move at all. But he rose from the bed and walked to the window and opened it.

The hell butterfly landed on his nose.

Kuchiki Byakuya blinked in surprise, his eyes crossing as he stared at it. Then Renji's voice rose out of it.

_Look outside the window._

He looked…and was surprised to see a trail of cherry blossoms leading away from his window.

_Put on the clothes hung on the closet door and follow the trail._

He turned back and noticed for the first time, the formal kimono, the gloves, the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu waiting there. A small smile crept onto his face.

"Renji…"

But he put on the clothes and, despite feeling odd about climbing out his window, he slipped outside and began to follow the trail. It was late afternoon and the streets should have been busy, but he found them unusually quiet.

"Odd," he whispered.

He kept walking. The cherry blossom trail wound through the maze of streets meandering here and there and turning him slowly in the direction of Kuchiki Manor. Soon, Byakuya realized that the trail did not lead him past it, but to the very gates and inside. As he reached the outer gate, the sentry, dressed in clothing for a formal occasion greeted him.

"Welcome home, Lord Kuchiki. Come in. They are waiting for you," he said, smiling and bowing.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. But it had been Renji who led him here. He paused for a moment, looking back at the sentry uncertainly.

"Come sir," the sentry said encouragingly, "Abarai Renji is inside."

The trail of cherry blossoms continued as well, so he followed them into the entry room, then out into the gardens. As he stepped into the gardens, Kuchiki Byakuya received the shock of his life. The gardens had been transformed into something beyond breathtaking. He stood, staring at the beauty of the flowers that had always been there, now dressed in lights and the trails lined with cherry blossoms. At one end stood a raised canopy of vines and intermingled white flowers. In front of the canopy were rows upon rows of chairs and every one was occupied…and the calm, happy sounds of their voices rang out warmly across the gardens. Kuchiki Noriko stood beneath the canopy, gazing back at him with something as close to a genuine smile as he had ever seen on her face. A voice at his side, startled him, and Byakuya turned slowly to face the one who had lured him here.

"You're right on time, as always, I see…Byakuya," Renji said, taking him by the arm.

"Renji," he said, resisting the hand that tried to pull him forward, "What is this?"

Renji laughed softly.

"You know what this is, Kuchiki Byakuya. It's your wedding day," Renji said, pulling on his arm again.

"I'm still sleeping," Byakuya said softly, "This can't be right."

He turned back into the entry room and found himself face to face with a very determined looking Abarai Renji.

"Renji…I don't understand. I told them I was leaving the family. I insulted them in the worst way. I told them to…"

"Go fuck themselves…I remember," Renji said, still smiling, "And?"

"So this place…it isn't mine anymore. They're not my family. I am not allowed to set foot in this place or stand in their presence after that. Why…?"

Renji laughed heartily and pulled out the kenseiken. Byakuya stared.

"Don't you understand? They are your family. Even though they are about as rotten as families come, they weren't going to just stand there and watch you walk away, Byakuya. They need you. And even though it pains me to say it, I think you need them too."

Renji leaned toward him and began setting the kenseiken in place.

"But…how did you…do this?" Byakuya asked dazedly, "How did you get them to…?"

"Easy…I knew what they wanted. And what you did made them realize that they weren't going to get what they wanted unless they changed what they were doing. So while you were sleeping, I went to them and told them what they needed to do. They were quite ready to listen to reason. I guess the scary reality of very publicly losing the strongest leader in the history of their clan was enough to bring them around. You aren't an outcast, Byakuya. You don't have to give up anything. And if you'll come with me, I want to give you something…not because of anything I feel I owe you, or a council edict, but because when love grows between two people to the point that both are ready to commit themselves to it, then the time comes to honor that love by making it official. Everyone you would want to be here is here. Everything is just as we planned it. All you have to do is take my hand and walk with me. You do want this, don't you, Byakuya? You haven't changed your mind, have you?"

Renji stood with his hand extended and waiting. Byakuya stared, his thoughts spinning. He still wasn't sure that he wasn't still in his quarters, dreaming all of this. But when he extended his own hand and reached for the one that was offered, his heart nearly melted when he discovered it to be warm, alive and very, very real.


	28. Until Death Do Us Part

**Chapter 28: Until Death Do Us Part**

**(Thanks so much to everyone who read, reviewed and enjoyed this story! Don't miss the next exciting installment, _BFA Part 2: The Doragon_ Tatsujin! The firt chapter is up, and more are on the way!)**

Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji walked side by side to the far end of the koi pond where the guests sat waiting. As they reached the beginning of the aisle, Rukia stepped out in front of them.

"Nii-sama, Renji," she said, smiling brightly, "I'm so happy for you!"

She hugged Renji, then hesitated for a moment, and finally burst forward and threw her arms around Byakuya, hugging him warmly and pulling him down slightly so that she could kiss him on the cheek. He froze for a moment, unaccustomed to the familiarity, then his arm wrapped lightly around her and his head lowered so that his face came to rest for a moment on the top of her head. Rukia moved in between them, taking Byakuya's hand in her right hand, and Renji's in her left, and the three stood quietly at the beginning of the center aisle. The guests stood and turned in their direction and music began to play.

Byakuya felt the touch of Senbonzakura's spirit on his mind and felt the stirrings of his power. As the three began to proceed down the aisle, a soft rain of glowing pink sakura petals fell from the sky above them. They moved forward slowly and Byakuya found himself transported, carried back in time to a moment years before…one he had never quite been able to forget. It suddenly made more sense to him than it ever had.

_He stood for a moment, his mind reeling at being so close to the one who looked so like his late wife. Mind, heart and body knew well that although they looked so alike, Hisana was gone and the emptiness that had opened up inside him could not be filled by this girl. In fact, Hisana had not realized the price that her request would exact from him. So desperate to find and make amends with her sister, she had obligated him to do something that only compounded the weight of losing her. Rukia's presence could have been a comfort. Had he been able to reveal the truth to the girl, they might have shared the weight of losing Hisana. He might have had someone who would understand and accept his pain. As it was, he was forced to hide everything. Surrounded by those who had opposed their marriage and having promised to say nothing to Rukia, just being in the girl's presence was nearly unbearable. Yet he shouldered the weight of it silently and revealed nothing of what it cost him._

_He felt a sense of relief when the time came to take their leave of her…to go and let her consider their offer of adoption into the family. It wouldn't matter whether she agreed or not, he was bound to take her into the family and one way or another, he would convince her. Kuchiki Byakuya saw it as a matter of duty. But even so, his shattered heart ached and threatened to reveal him. And when the time came to leave, it was all he could do to force everything down and take things step by step as he left the room._

_He was oblivious to everything but the pain. Nothing broke through it as he slowly moved toward the exit, looking to everyone there as though nothing was wrong…as though it was just another day and his heart wasn't about to be crushed under the weight. But somewhere in the haze of pain that surrounded him, something registered. In his desperation to escape the room, he almost missed it._

_He passed within inches of someone. He didn't so much as blink, such was the strength of his control, but then he simply couldn't help but hear the anguished thoughts as he passed._

…_so…powerful_

…_so…beautiful…_

_but…I hate you for taking her!_

_And yet, as he passed into the next room, he heard the youth happily congratulating her…as though he couldn't be happier. And in that moment, he realized that he wasn't alone in the pain Hisana's death and this request had caused. This soul that hated him so was the only one that could understand the pain. Strangely, he felt comforted._

_And forty years later, when he was forced to find a new fukutaichou, when he scanned the files, he saw that face again…the one that hated him and yet shared his pain. He stared for a long time, realizing the danger of allowing his well being to rest in such hands. But there was no other way, it seemed, to bring him closer, to gain knowledge of him, to feel comforted by that presence. It was insane, but no one realized what it was that he was doing. No one ever needed to know._

_He did wonder how long it would last…how long it would take for his fukutaichou's hatred to overtake him and force them into confrontation. Strangely, although Abarai Renji was neither patient nor reserved in his thoughts, Byakuya felt him watching with purpose, quietly preparing…friendly and engaging on the surface, but seething with hatred underneath. He said nothing. He watched Renji carefully, knowing the time would come when his fukutaichou would turn on him, and not caring. While he waited for the end, he felt comforted. That comfort was all that mattered…that feeling of not being alone in his pain. It was selfish and reckless…and when the end came, he was surprised at how close it came to undoing him._

_But as he stood looking back at the bloodied wreck held down beneath his pink blades, Kuchiki Byakuya was surprised to see something of himself…hopelessly beaten down, the life bleeding out, and yet shouldering it all quietly and refusing to give in. That thought warned him what was about to happen, but he refused to believe it. Even as he watched the pink blades shatter and the broken body rise up again, he couldn't make himself move. He could only watch as Renji closed on him and wish his fukutaichou's blade had enough strength left in it to kill him._

_Because Renji was stronger than he was._

_And his dedication to Rukia was all encompassing._

_So powerful…_

_So beautiful…_

_And as he watched Renji's blade shatter against him, Byakuya's heart broke for him. It was lucky for the noble that help was already coming. Knowing that was the only thing that made it possible for him to turn and walk away. But even leaving was no escape. He knew the images would haunt him…possibly to the point of madness. That was why…why when he woke in the healing center he didn't know whether the bandaged man in the chair was real or a mirage there to remind him of just how wrong he had been._

_But even if it was only a mirage there to haunt him, at least he wouldn't have to bear the pain alone…_

_He didn't expect Renji to be real._

_He didn't expect to be forgiven._

_And even being forgiven, he wouldn't have dreamed that Renji would ever love him._

_And yet, Byakuya's recklessness led him to kiss Renji anyway, and he was stunned when those warm lips moved against his in acceptance. He didn't deserve it. So why had _

_Renji done it? Why?_

_And why was he here, ready to fill the emptiness that Hisana's death had caused?_

_He didn't deserve that either._

_It couldn't be real._

_He had simply gone mad. The stress of losing everything and facing a future of unknowns had finally unhinged him. He couldn't be here in the gardens of the home he had left behind. He couldn't be marrying the one who had once hated him. It couldn't be real. As much as he wanted it to be, it all had to be just a dream._

They had reached the canopy and he felt Rukia kiss his cheek and set his hand gently in Renji's. They moved forward and took their place under the canopy…in front of half the population of the Seireitei, with Kuchiki Noriko speaking words that no longer registered and Renji's eyes locked on his. Renji knew the signs of the madness that had taken hold of his taichou. He recognized the sudden hint of fear that flashed across the deep gray eyes and was prepared when he felt the rise of power that preceded his flash step.

But Abarai Renji wasn't going to let him escape. As Byakuya's eyes dropped away from his and the noble started to turn, Renji's hand took hold of his wrist and held him there. Kuchiki Noriko fell silent and all eyes rested on them…waiting.

"You always do this," Renji said, "You always find a reason to deny yourself happiness. I don't understand why you do that. "

"I never should have made those promises," Byakuya managed in a soft voice, "I should have convinced Hisana to change her mind…to allow me to be honest with Rukia about who she was…and then to stand back and allow Rukia to choose where she wanted to be. But I was desperate to comfort her. I recklessly promised whatever she asked. In doing that, I denied Rukia the right to choose her own path…and I hurt you. I made you hate me. How can you have forgotten? How can you even stand in my presence and not be reminded?"

Renji's continued to hold his wrist and brought his other hand to Byakuya's chin, raising his eyes so that brown locked on gray and held them there. Everyone else seemed to disappear for them. They were, in that moment, alone.

"We both made mistakes, Byakuya," Renji said, holding the noble spellbound, "Yes…you took Rukia in. I lost her. I hated you. But it wasn't right for me to do that. Byakuya, I hated you for giving my best friend a safe and comfortable home…a family. These are things we grew up without in the Rukongai and I should have been happy for her. But I was selfish in hating you for that. I was only thinking of my own pain, not what was best for her."

"It wasn't what was best for her. I was horrible to her. I avoided her and left her feeling alone and isolated. And when she was going to be executed, I turned against her and abandoned her…Renji, I let Aizen Sousuke use me against her. How am I supposed to ever forget that? How can I forgive myself? How is it you were able to forgive me?"

Renji released his wrist and took his face in both hands, the brown eyes boring down into his, forcing their way in and holding him frozen.

"Don't you get it, Byakuya? I hated you out of selfishness. I hated you before you really did anything wrong. But you…the things that you did…the decisions you made? You were caught between your love for your wife and your love for your parents. Taking Rukia in wasn't a selfish act and neither was honoring your parents…even though doing so had awful consequences. You were trapped…and you did some things wrong, but when it really mattered, you stood between Rukia and death. You were willing to sacrifice everything to protect her. And yesterday? Yesterday, you showed me that you were willing to give up everything just to be with me. You didn't do that for selfish reasons. You did it because you love me. And I love you too," he said, kissing the stunned noble over and over, "I love you too!"

He pulled away slightly, but kept their faces close together.

"Let it all go now, Byakuya. Let yourself be happy. Just let us both be happy…please…"

Byakuya realized suddenly that he had forgotten to breathe and he took a long, slow breath, leaning into the hands that still held his face. He couldn't speak, but he raised his eyes so Renji could see that the madness had drained out of them. The worry left the gentle brown eyes and Renji's smile returned. Beside them, Kuchiki Noriko cleared her throat, bringing them back to reality.

"Lord Byakuya, is everything all right now? May I continue?" she asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Byakuya nodded.

"Yes…please go on," he said, taking Renji's hands.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, having given your hand to Abarai Renji, do you vow to give yourself wholly unto him, forsaking all others? Whether for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, will you love, honor and protect him for all the days of your lives?"

"I will," Byakuya replied, his voice calm and tranquil again.

"And Abarai Renji, having given your hand to Kuchiki Byakuya, do you vow to give yourself wholly unto him, forsaking all others? Whether for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, will you love, honor and protect him for all the days of your lives?"

"I will," Renji responded, squeezing Byakuya's hands.

"Having so promised, I invite you now to share a declaration of the bonds of your love…Abarai Renji?"

"Kuchiki Byakuya, it seems that the battleground has been like a second home to us. So much between us has happened on so many battlefields. Sometimes it seemed like one or the other of us wouldn't survive. But we have come so far, through so much difficulty, and still we are both here. And whether we fight hollows, intolerance, pain, or our own inner demons, the only one I want at my back is you. You've offered me everything…and I want to offer you everything in return."

"Thank you, Abarai Renji," Noriko said, smiling, "Kuchiki Byakuya?"

"Abarai Renji, You are one to whom life has often been unkind. Having had to struggle for every bit of happiness, and having watched the friends around you fall and disappear, it amazes me that there is any brightness left in you. But you weather everything with a courageous heart, with love for your friends and resolve to protect what is yours. I am honored to stand in your presence, gifted with your loyalty and friendship, and blessed to be the one who holds your heart. You have offered me everything…and I want to offer you everything in return."

The two were dimly aware of the exchange of rings and the words that followed, but their eyes were focused on each other and their minds were a thousand miles away…already lost in thoughts of the future, in all of their plans…and together in joy at the knowledge they would experience all of it side by side. They only waited now for the final words, the ones that would make it all real.

"Byakuya…and Renji, having taken vows of marriage, having pledged yourselves one to the other, I now declare you to be partners in life, bonded in love, given into a marriage that none may put asunder. You may now exchange a kiss as token of the love we have joined."

They leaned toward each other and as their lips touched, the calm was shattered by the sound of alarms ringing.

"Damn it!" snapped Renji, "Of all the…"

He was stopped mid-sentence by the hands that took hold of him and the mouth that captured his in a long sensuous kiss.

"Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! Hollows are attacking the West Rukongai and closing on the west gate."

Byakuya and Renji exchanged glances.

"That's our area," they said together.

Renji turned to their guests.

"Enjoy the party everyone! It's time for us to get started on our honeymoon. Coming Taichou?"

Byakuya nodded.

"After you."

Together they flash stepped away leaving their guests staring after them.


End file.
